Merz Under Pressure: Record-Low Approval, State Election Losses, and No Clear Successor
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Friedrich Merz came to power promising to steady Germany. According to this Bloomberg report, the ground beneath him is already shifting. His approval ratings are the worst of any chancellor of the post-war era, his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has suffered its worst-ever result in a state election, and the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is gaining. The report asks what Merz will do next and whether he can hold Germany's political center as support drains away. Its answer is pessimistic for Merz personally, and it argues that his survival would not end Germany's instability.
A Fragile Country That Once Prided Itself on Stability
The commentators describe Germany's political situation as "pretty fragile." The economy is stagnating and the electorate is restless. Public anger at Merz's coalition is splintering voters in both directions, and the report says this increasingly positions the AfD as the main threat to the establishment.
One commentator puts it in broader terms: Germany likes to see itself as Europe's anchor of stability, and it is now "adrift politically." The interviewer asks whether Germany's reputation for political, policy, and fiscal stability is now in question. The report treats this as an open question.
Why Merz Lost the Public
Merz became chancellor on May 6, 2025, after Olaf Scholz's coalition collapsed. One commentator says that although Merz won, the discontent continued and the electorate kept getting angrier. The report calls the story one of "a political leader who lost any kind of popular touch that they ever had."
The report links this partly to his personality. Merz is known for a direct style, but his sharp tone sometimes misses the mark with voters. One commentator describes him as a corporate lawyer by trade who is "somewhat aloof" and does not connect well with the public. He had a brief popularity boost after taking office, but it did not last, and his approval rating has fallen ever since.
The State Election Blow
The situation became critical when the CDU suffered what the report calls a "disastrous double blow" in recent state elections, while the AfD won dominant victories. A commentator calls the CDU result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania an "absolute disaster." The video does not name the second state.
According to the report, Merz canceled a planned trip to the UN in New York. He gathered his party around him and vowed to press on with his reform agenda to revive the economy. He also said he would stay on as chancellor. One commentator explains his resolve with his history: Merz wanted the chancellorship for a long time and was sidelined under Angela Merkel, "so he's not about to give it up easily." Merz also stressed that he has a historic responsibility to "right the ship."
High Stakes for a Possible Economic Turn
The report says high energy costs and a struggling auto industry have pushed Germany into a deep slump, with unemployment heading toward 3 million. A commentator argues the stakes are high because there are signs the economy may have turned the corner, with "seeds of growth" emerging. In that view, political instability that threatened the reform agenda could damage this fragile recovery.
The AfD and a Divided Country
The report presents the AfD's rise as running against what Germany's post-war constitution was designed to prevent. A commentator notes that some elements in the party have tried to relativize the crimes of the war era. Those elements have been classified as right-wing extremists by Germany's domestic intelligence services.
The report says AfD support has grown nationwide this year but is stronger in the east. It calls this "a sharp reminder" that decades after the Berlin Wall fell, Germany remains deeply divided.
No Obvious Successor and a Gridlocked Future
In the commentator's assessment, Merz is suffering from an anti-incumbency movement seen around the world. Yet he has no obvious successor. Two names come up: Hendrik Wüst, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Markus Söder, state premier of Bavaria. Neither has said he wants to challenge Merz, and both have backed him.
The report argues that Merz's survival would not end the instability. Every major party refuses to work with the AfD, so any future government is "heading straight for gridlock."
What Comes Next
The commentator expects the chancellery to watch every new economic indicator anxiously for signs of recovery. The best case for Merz is that the economy picks up, voter discontent eases, and the public turns back to supporting him. The commentator considers a different outcome more likely: the economy does improve and helps prop up the government, but it comes "really too late for Merz."
Friedrich Merz came to power promising to steady Germany, but instead the ground beneath him is already shifting.
Merz says he will stay on as Germany's Chancellor even after his party suffered its worst ever result in a state election.
His approval ratings are the worst for any Chancellor of the post-war era. The political situation in Germany is pretty fragile at the moment. Economically, it's stagnating. The electorate is restless.
Public anger at Merz's coalition is splintering the electorate as voters peel away in both directions, increasingly positioning the far-right Alternative für Deutschland, known as the AfD, as the primary threat to the establishment.
It essentially means that Germany, which likes to pride itself as the anchor of stability in Europe, is now adrift politically.
So, what's Merz's next move? And can he hold Germany's political center as support drains away?
This story is all about a political leader who lost any kind of popular touch that they ever had.
Merz became German Chancellor on May 6th, 2025, following the collapse of Olaf Scholz's coalition.
Merz won, but the discontent has really continued. The electorate is increasingly angry.
Though known for his direct style, his sharp tone can occasionally miss the mark with voters.
He's a corporate lawyer by trade and is somewhat aloof and doesn't really manage to connect very well with the public.
After Merz came into office in May 2025, he had a bit of a popularity boost, but it didn't last long and his approval rating has been on the slide ever since.
The situation became critical for Merz when his CDU party suffered a disastrous double blow in recent state elections as the far-right AfD surged to a dominant victory.
The CDU, absolute disaster in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
So, how did Merz handle this stunning electoral blow?
Merz reacted by canceling his planned trip to the UN in New York. He gathered his party around him and he vowed to press on with his reform agenda to try and pick up the economy. Merz has coveted the chancellorship for a long time. Even under Angela Merkel, he was sidelined. So, he's not about to give it up easily. At the same time, he stressed the fact that he has a historic responsibility to try and right the ship.
So, Germany known for political stability, known for policy stability, known for fiscal stability. Are all those things in question?
High energy costs and a struggling auto industry has plunged Germany into a deep slump, driving unemployment towards 3 million.
The stakes are so high because there are signs that perhaps the German economy may have turned the corner. There are seeds of growth emerging and any introduction of political instability that could threaten the reform agenda that's needed to try and nurture that.
The rise of the AfD goes against everything that Germany's post-war constitution was set up to try and prevent. There are elements who have tried to relativize the crimes of the war era and they have been classed as right-wing extremists by the domestic intelligence services.
This is the AfD's vote share in the previous state elections. This year, support has grown nationwide, but it's stronger in the east. A sharp reminder that decades after the Berlin Wall fell, Germany remains deeply divided.
In conclusion, Merz is suffering from an anti-incumbency movement, which is being experienced right across the world right now. At the same time, Merz has no obvious successor in place.
There's the state prime minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst. Then there's the state prime minister of Bavaria, Markus Söder. The problem with both of those candidates is that neither has come out saying that they want to challenge Merz. Quite the opposite, they've backed him.
The chancellor's political survival won't end Germany's instability. With every major political party shutting out the far-right AfD, any future government is heading straight for gridlock.
What's coming next is a very anxious eye from the chancellery at every economic indicator that's coming in to check for signs that the German economy's picking up. The best scenario here is that it does so, the electorate becomes less discontent, and actually turns around to support him.
The more likely scenario is that the German economy does pick up, it does help to support his government, but it's really too late for Merz.
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