Merz Faces Grassroots Anger as CDU Base Challenges Leadership
CDU leader Friedrich Merz met with district chairs, some of the party’s most critical official voices, as tensions between the capital bubble and the grassroots boil over after painful election defeats. Behind closed doors, pressure is mounting on the chancellor candidate to prove he can win back the trust of his own people. Serap Güler, CDU district chair in Cologne and Minister of State at the Foreign Office, called for better communication and an unmistakable stance on the AfD. It remains unclear whether the base still stands unconditionally behind Merz and his demands. Separately, British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting paid an inaugural visit to Boris Pistorius for talks on far-reaching armament projects, including a new long-range missile to deter Russia. Chris Lunday explained why France could become a political disruptor in the multibillion-euro project.
