Friedrich Merz under pressure as resignation and chancellor swap loom

Friedrich Merz chancellor resignation CDU poll regional elections Deutschland‑Stack

A Forsa poll commissioned by Stern and RTL finds that 43 % of Germans think a change of chancellor would help the Union, while 51 % doubt the CDU/CSU can regain support with Friedrich Merz as chancellor. Among CDU/CSU voters, 46 % favour a swap, and 69 % of AfD supporters oppose any change. Support for a swap is higher in western Germany (44 %) than in the east (35 %).

Internal criticism is mounting. Bremen CDU leader Heiko Strohmann likened the party under Merz to “a party before the Wende”, and FDP chairman Wolfgang Kubicki accused Merz of “mismanaging the party like a company”. The party’s regional branches in eastern Germany face upcoming elections that could force Merz to resign by 21 September, according to party insiders. North‑Rhine‑Westphalia premier Hendrik Wüst is repeatedly mentioned as a possible successor.

Separately, the Bundesrechnungshof has criticised Merz’s flagship “Deutschland‑Stack” digital infrastructure project, saying essential technical standards are missing, planning is late and cost overruns are likely.

Entities: Bundesrechnungshof · CDU/CSU · Christian Democratic Union (CDU) · Forsa · Free Democratic Party (FDP) · Friedrich Merz · German Federal Government · Heiko Strohmann · Hendrik Wüst · RTL · Stern · Wolfgang Kubicki

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] AfD leads in Saxony‑Anhalt polls with about 41 % support, while the CDU has roughly 24 %. (multiple articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] National polls show AfD ahead of the CDU with 27 % versus 21 % support. (multiple articles)
[● 5 SOURCES] North Rhine‑Westphalia premier Hendrik Wüst is discussed as a likely successor to Friedrich Merz. (Political commentary)
[● 3 SOURCES] The September regional elections in Saxony‑Anhalt, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern and Berlin could be decisive for Merz’s leadership. (multiple articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] Only about 15 % of Germans approve of Chancellor Merz’s performance. (multiple articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] The CDU is discussing scenarios for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s resignation after upcoming regional elections in eastern Germany. (multiple articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] Parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn resigned in July, adding to the CDU’s internal turmoil. (multiple articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] If the CDU suffers heavy losses, Friedrich Merz may be forced to resign no later than 21 September. (Party insiders)
[● 3 SOURCES] The poll was commissioned by the news outlets Stern and RTL and conducted by the institute Forsa. (Article descriptions)
[● 3 SOURCES] Voters for SPD, Greens and Left parties are more likely to see a new chancellor as beneficial for the Union. (Forsa poll)
[● 5 SOURCES] 51 percent of Germans doubt the Union can regain support with Friedrich Merz as chancellor. (Forsa poll)
[● 3 SOURCES] Support for a chancellor swap rose from 41 percent in early June to 43 percent in early August. (Forsa poll)