Show Notes
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his party the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are facing an existential crisis following bruising regional election defeats.
The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania election saw the centre-right CDU fail to reach the five percent threshold, for the first time in a state election since 1949. The far-right AfD won with 38 percent of the vote.
Merz, who has been chancellor for just 16 months, has record-low approval ratings, but is vowing to stay on and push through unpopular reforms aimed at reviving Germany's sluggish economy.
As the political centre erodes and the far-right AfD makes major gains, can the CDU recover, and how long can Merz possibly last as German Chancellor?
Tabea Schaumann Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre
Wolfgang Muno Chair of Comparative Government at University of Rostock
Hajo Funke Political Scientist
Edward Knudsen Economic Security Analyst at RAND Europe
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