Politics · Germany · 1 hr ago
CDU ends crisis meeting as Söder backs Merz
Germany’s CDU has concluded a two-day meeting to discuss its response to a series of election defeats.
The party is led by Friedrich Merz, who is also Germany’s chancellor.
Its sister party’s leader, Markus Söder, publicly backed Merz and said he would remain chancellor.
The CDU lost its place in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state parliament and suffered a major setback in Saxony-Anhalt.
Several national polls put the conservative alliance below 20 percent, compared with 28.5 percent in the 2025 election.
Party figures called for lower energy and living costs, among other measures, as they considered how to win back voters.
Merz and CDU general secretary Franziska Hoppermann are due to present the meeting’s conclusions.
The CDU leadership concluded a two-day crisis meeting focused on the party’s election losses and how to regain voters.
CSU leader Markus Söder publicly backed Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz, saying he would remain chancellor.
The party discussed measures to bring it closer to people’s everyday concerns, including reducing living and energy costs.
The CDU had suffered major losses in state elections and was polling below 20 percent nationally in several surveys.
The leadership also considered whether to maintain its reform course and how the party should position itself politically.
- Who
- The CDU leadership, including Chancellor and party leader Friedrich Merz; CSU leader Markus Söder also voiced support for Merz.
- What
- The CDU ended a two-day crisis meeting on election losses and measures to win back voters.
- When
- The meeting concluded on October 12, 2026.
- Where
- Berlin.
- Why
- The party was responding to major state election losses and weak national polling.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Friedrich Merz remains Chancellor
I value him, I respect him and I think this is very unfair.
Personnel disputes and personnel discussions are the guarantee that you will no longer be elected and no longer be seen as credible.
People expect a change in policy that they can feel in their everyday lives.
The CDU was voted out of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state parliament for the first time.
The CDU leadership discussed a paper proposing concrete measures to bring the party closer to people’s everyday realities.
Söder publicly backed Merz, saying he would remain chancellor.
The CDU leadership concluded its two-day crisis meeting.
- Meeting duration
- Two days
- National polling
- Below 20 percent in several surveys
- CDU vote share at the early-2025 election
- 28.5 percent
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- The CDU was voted out of the state parliament on September 20
- Proposed cost relief
- CDU state parliamentary group leaders called for lower social insurance contributions and energy costs
Sources
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