Politics · Germany · 7 hrs ago
CDU begins two-day talks after election losses and weak polling
Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is facing major election losses and weak polling.
In September, it lost its place as the largest party in Berlin and, for the first time in its history, failed to enter the parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
In Saxony-Anhalt, it lost almost 20 percentage points.
Nationally, several polls put the CDU below 20 percent, compared with 28.5 percent in the 2025 election.
The party’s leadership has started a two-day meeting to consider what the results mean for the party and its future direction.
Former German president Joachim Gauck and polling experts are among those invited on the first day.
General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann says the meeting is only the start of a process to rebuild trust and strengthen the party.
The CDU began a two-day leadership meeting to discuss election losses and weak polling.
Secretary-General Franziska Hoppermann said the meeting was the start of a process, not a quick fix.
The party lost nearly 20 percentage points in Saxony-Anhalt and was voted out of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s state parliament for the first time in its history.
In several polls, the CDU and its Bavarian sister party were below 20 percent, compared with 28.5 percent in the early-2025 election.
Party leaders also disagreed over whether the CDU should take a more conservative course.
- Who
- The CDU leadership, including Secretary-General Franziska Hoppermann, is taking part.
- What
- The CDU began a two-day meeting to discuss election results and low polling.
- When
- It began on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- The party is discussing the consequences of state election losses and weak support for the party and its leader, Friedrich Merz.
Boris Rhein
Karin Prien
Party direction
Boris Rhein
Rhein called for a more conservative course.
Karin Prien
Prien said the CDU had become too conservative in recent years and that this was part of the problem.
not the one miracle weapon, but the beginning of a process that we are starting both in the federal government and in government policy, as well as in the party
to return to our former strength and reinforce our claim as a people’s party
that is part of the problem
The CDU lost nearly 20 percentage points in Saxony-Anhalt.
The CDU was voted out of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s state parliament for the first time in its history; in Berlin, the Left displaced it from first place.
The CDU began its two-day leadership meeting, with pollsters and former German president Joachim Gauck invited for the first day.
- Meeting length
- Two days
- Secretary-general
- Franziska Hoppermann
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- CDU lost its state parliament seats for the first time in its more than 80-year history
- Saxony-Anhalt
- CDU lost nearly 20 percentage points
- Federal polling
- Below 20 percent in several polls, compared with 28.5 percent in the early-2025 election
Sources
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