CDU State Governors Unite Behind Merz as Fuel Costs Surge

All eight Christian Democratic Union (CDU) state premiers have issued a joint declaration of support for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, pressing the party to prioritize rebuilding public confidence over internal leadership disputes. The intervention comes amid intensifying scrutiny of Merz’s leadership following the CDU’s significant loss to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the recent Saxony-Anhalt state election.

In their statement released on Wednesday, the premiers argued that Germany requires stability above all else. They called on the party to focus on “listening and political action” rather than engaging in personnel debates, emphasizing the need to restore voter trust ahead of upcoming elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin.

The united front was signed by the governors of Schleswig-Holstein, Hesse, Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Notably, Hendrik Wüst of North Rhine-Westphalia is among those backing Merz, despite being widely speculated as a potential successor to the chancellorship.

The political pressure on Merz has mounted since the party’s poor performance in Saxony-Anhalt, prompting some party figures to entertain the possibility of replacing him. In response, Merz has scheduled a CDU leadership meeting for Sunday evening, following two more state elections this weekend, and has cancelled a planned trip to New York for the UN General Assembly debate.

Simultaneously, the governing coalition is grappling with economic pressures as gasoline and diesel prices reach record or near-record highs. Thorsten Frei, the parliamentary leader for the CDU, urged immediate relief measures to take effect as early as October 1. “People don’t need the prospect of relief now; they need relief,” Frei told broadcasters RTL and ntv.

While both the center-right CDU and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) agree on the necessity of swift action, disagreements persist on the methodology. The CDU is advocating for tax cuts, whereas the SPD is favoring a price cap on fuel.