But what those consequences will be remains uncertain. Merz’s dismal approval ratings and the AfD’s convincing win have fueled speculation that his conservatives could seek a Kanzlertausch, or “chancellor swap,” to revive their political fortunes. But Merz said Monday that he would remain in office and stay the course on economic reforms he argues are long overdue and will, with time, solve the country’s economic problems.
The AfD has made little secret of its intent to turn the election loss into a still greater debacle for Merz. The far-right party is openly courting conservative lawmakers in Saxony-Anhalt to defect and join its ranks — a strategy aimed not only at securing the three additional seats it needs to govern alone, but also at fracturing the conservatives and breaking Merz’s control of his party.
“The conservative bloc will never again be able to win a federal election, that is a fact,” AfD national co-leader Alice Weidel said in Berlin on Monday. “The gap between us and them is already at 10 percent, and my stated goal is to significantly widen that gap in the shortest possible time.”
Merz on Monday acknowledged that he is part of the problem. Only 9 percent of people voting in Saxony-Anhalt approved of his performance as chancellor, according to one exit poll for German public television.
“I know that my persona, too, has been a recurring topic in this election campaign,” Merz said. Germans are anxious about their economic wellbeing and security in turbulent times, he went on, adding: “We must try — myself included — to connect more deeply with people, including their full range of emotions.”
Under pressure
The pressure on Merz is likely only to build in the next weeks, particularly as elections loom in two eastern regions on Sept. 20. Merz’s CDU is headed for clear defeat in the state of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, where the AfD is ahead of all other parties. In Berlin, where the CDU is currently governing, the party is likely to fall out of power to a coalition of left-wing parties.