A German chancellor has described recent state election losses as a "disaster," admitting the results have severely weakened his conservative party’s standing. Following a rare televised address shortly after polls closed, he reaffirmed his commitment to pushing forward with economic policies despite the setback. Analysts have framed his response as a strategic move to control the political narrative amid mounting pressure. The outcome risks deepening divisions within his own party and further alienating voters already disillusioned by the results.
Chancellor acknowledges disastrous state election results but vow to push on is likely to further alienate voters, and his own party• Europe live – latest updatesFriedrich Merz called it a “disaster”, and that was even before the full scale of the catastrophe for himself and his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came into view after Sunday’s state elections.In what one outlet called a “power move”, the German chancellor made a highly unusual televised speech just minutes after polls closed in the states of Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, attempting to get ahead of the narrative with a pledge to stay on and fight for his economic recovery programme. Continue reading...
