German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing growing pressure as his approval ratings fall and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gains support.
According to a poll by German public broadcaster ARD, only 13 per cent of Germans are satisfied with Merz's leadership, the lowest rating recorded for a sitting chancellor in the nearly 30-year history of the survey.
Economic concerns, including dissatisfaction with Germany's economy and planned pension and healthcare reforms, are weighing on his government.
The AfD has also overtaken the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in national support, according to the figures cited by Anadolu Agency, with 28 per cent support compared with 21 per cent for Merz's party.
Merz is also facing criticism within his party following a turbulent Cabinet reshuffle.
German magazine Der Spiegel reported that several figures close to the chancellor and within the CDU leadership are questioning his political future.
A senior CDU official, speaking anonymously, told the magazine that Merz could be forced to leave office by 21 September, following state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
One possible successor is Hendrik Wüst, the CDU minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Wüst has rejected speculation that he could replace Merz, saying the chancellorship is “not an option for me at this time”, while leaving open the possibility of running for the position in the future.
Under Germany's parliamentary system, Merz could be replaced if he resigns or loses a constructive vote of no confidence in the Bundestag.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7th of September, covering the latest developments. ...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Seven Indonesian airports, including two serving Jakarta, remained closed early on Monday morning because of volcanic ash from eruptions at Mount Anak Krakatau, the transport minister said. One other airport in South Sumatra has been reopened.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7th of September, covering the latest developments.
Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Monday that China could view recent cuts to U.S.-South Korea military exercises as an opportunity to reassert itself in the Indo-Pacific.
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has scored a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt, emerging as the strongest party in the eastern state and putting it closer than ever to forming a regional government.
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