The leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democrats, Friedrich Merz, is confident that his party will lead the next federal government.
Merz said this in his weekly newsletter on Saturday, indicating potential coalition partners. He wrote in his newsletter:
“It is largely undisputed in public opinion […] that the CDU/CSU will lead the next federal government.”
The CDU has been comfortably ahead of the other parties in the polls for some time, gaining around 32 per cent of the popular vote, while the ruling parties SPD (S&D), Greens and FDP (Renewal) have lost significant support since coming to power.
In order to bring about policy change in Germany, Merz has set himself the goal of being at least twice as strong as the SPD and the Greens. Merz has recognised that a coalition government is likely, although the next national election is not due until the end of 2025 at the earliest. He wrote:
“A subsequent coalition with the SPD or the Greens would not be a particularly appealing prospect, but a governing majority is a must.”
He did not rule out any of the current ruling parties as a potential partner, but said that “it will definitely not be the AfD.”
The opposition leader warned the public that “every vote in favour of one of these parties [AfD or the Left] makes real political change in Germany more difficult, not easier”.
Similar questions may have to be answered in the European elections in June.
According to the latest Europe Elects poll, the CDU’s EU group, the European People’s Party (EPP), is projected to win the same number of EU seats as in 2019, while the national-conservative ECR and ID are expected to make significant gains.
