Bloomberg: Merz intends to stay in power

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz intends to retain the post of head of government, despite growing discontent within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and pressure after the party's defeat in the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Bloomberg writes, citing sources familiar with his position.

According to the agency's interlocutors, Merc is "determined" to continue its reform program.

The day after the CDU's defeat in the elections in In Saxony-Anhalt and critics due to errors in political communication and lack of progress in restoring economic growth, the German chancellor told reporters: "Giving up is not an option" — and promised to improve interaction with voters.

Discontent has also intensified within the CDU faction, the agency notes. At a closed meeting, about 20 deputies threatened not to support the €10 billion income tax reduction package, which is one of the key measures of the coalition government.

The party is discussing the possibility of replacing Merz, Bloomberg writes. Among the potential successors are the Prime Minister of North Rhine -Westphalia Hendrik Wust and the chairman of the Bavarian CSU Markus Zeder. At the same time, there is no single plan for the resignation of the chancellor yet.

Additional pressure may be created by the September 20 elections in Mecklenburg—Vorpommern and Berlin. According to a survey conducted by Bloomberg, the CDU's rating in the first land is 7%, while 37% of respondents support the AFD and 34% support the SPD. In Berlin, the CDU with 21% is inferior to the "Left" party.

Earlier this week, the CDU branch in The Grosberene near Berlin sent an open letter to Merz on behalf of 33 party members demanding a review of the political course.

The authors of the appeal called the victory of the "Alternative for Germany" and the failure of the CDU in the elections in Saxony-Anhalt is not an accident. In their opinion, voters are losing confidence in the party and its ability to solve current problems. The letter also said that the reforms promised by Mertz have not yet produced a noticeable result. At the same time, the authors of the letter did not demand the resignation of the chancellor.

At the elections in In Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, the AFD received 43.8% of the vote, and the CDU — 17.2%, which was a sharp drop in the party's result.

In May, Politico reported on problems in the chancellor's entourage and disagreements within the CDU. According to the publication, his personal assistant left the office after 11 weeks, the chief of staff was dismissed, and the press secretary was demoted.