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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Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York for the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, global security, trade, artificial intelligence, climate change and economic development dominating the agenda.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
Fourteen Kazakh military personnel died after being swept out to sea during a naval training exercise in the western Mangistau region, authorities said on Thursday.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
Iran on Saturday awaited a U.S. response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected the deal.
Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday (26 September), following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.
Swiss voters are due to decide on Sunday, 27 September, whether to enshrine a stricter interpretation of the country’s long-standing neutrality in the constitution, in a referendum that has reopened debate over Switzerland’s role in European security and international diplomacy.
The United States and China have agreed to lower tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of goods and establish a new channel for cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), marking one of the most significant outcomes from Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington.
Russia and Germany have held their first ministerial-level meeting since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, signalling a rare diplomatic contact between two countries whose relations have deteriorated sharply over the course of the war.
Leaders from around the world are gathering in New York for the latest session of the United Nations General Assembly, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, global security, trade, artificial intelligence, climate change and economic development dominating the agenda.
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