# Internal German CDU criticism of Merz government

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/internal-german-cdu-criticism-of-merz-government
> Updated: 2026-08-12T17:22:43.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 2.

CDU Member of Parliament Tilman Kuban has expressed criticism of the government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. During an appearance on the ARD talk show ‘Maischberger’, Kuban stated he has ‘full understanding’ for widespread public dissatisfaction and noted that his hope for Merz to reduce the influence of political fringes has not materialized after one year in office.

Additionally, Kuban and SPD politician Karl Lauterbach criticized the inclusion of cabaret artist Dieter Hallervorden at a CDU campaign event, where Hallervorden referred to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius as a ‘war minister’.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-12: Dmitry Medvedev criticizes German Chancellor and journalist over controversial remarks

Dmitry Medvedev criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and journalist Michael Martens after Martens asked how Europeans could help Ukraine kill more Russians during a press conference.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dmitry-medvedev-criticizes-german-chancellor-and-journalist-over-controversial-remarks

### 2026-08-11: Tilman Kuban criticizes Merz government on ARD talk show

CDU politician Tilman Kuban criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government on ARD's ‘Maischberger’, stating that political fringes have not shrunk and expressing widespread party dissatisfaction.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/friedrich-merz-background-and-roots-in-sauerland

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Cite as: Internal German CDU criticism of Merz government. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/internal-german-cdu-criticism-of-merz-government