Frankfurt (Germany), 21 Sept. (LaPresse) – The CDU’s minister-presidents met late on Sunday evening in Berlin without the Chancellor and party leader Friedrich Merz, following the poor election results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. According to German media reports, seven of the eight CDU minister-presidents attended the meeting at the Rhineland-Palatinate state representation, alongside the regional party chairmen from Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony. The meeting is said to have lasted almost two hours. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU, with its candidate Daniel Peters, secured 4.9 per cent, failing to win a seat in the regional parliament for the first time in its history. In Berlin, with Stefan Evers as its candidate, the party secured 18.8 per cent, coming second behind Die Linke. The meeting of the minister-presidents took place following a meeting of the CDU’s presidium, which began at 5 pm. According to *Stern*, there were also moments of heated debate with Merz during the presidium’s summit. The Chancellor addressed voters shortly after 6.00 pm, following the first exit polls, describing the CDU’s result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as “a disaster”. Merz then reaffirmed his determination to continue his reform agenda: “What needs to be done now requires courage, resolve and patience. I will bring these qualities to bear as CDU chairman and, above all, as Chancellor of our country.” According to one of the accounts cited by *Handelsblatt*, during the Presidium meeting Merz is said to have indirectly raised the possibility of stepping down as CDU chairman. The suggestion was reportedly discussed and swiftly rejected.
Germany: media report CDU leadership meeting without Merz following election defeat
Frankfurt (Germany), 21 Sept. (LaPresse) – The CDU’s minister-presidents met late on Sunday evening in Berlin without the Chancellor and party leader Friedrich Merz, following the poor election results in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. According to German media reports, seven of the eight CDU minister-presidents attended the meeting at the Rhineland-Palatinate state representation, alongside the regional party chairmen from Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony. The meeting is said to have lasted almost two hours. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU, with its candidate Daniel Peters, secured 4.9 per cent, failing to win a seat in the regional parliament for the first time in its history. In Berlin, with Stefan Evers as its candidate, the party secured 18.8 per cent, coming second behind Die Linke. The meeting of the minister-presidents took place following a meeting of the CDU’s presidium, which began at 5 pm. According to *Stern*, there were also moments of heated debate with Merz during the presidium’s summit. The Chancellor addressed voters shortly after 6.00 pm, following the first exit polls, describing the CDU’s result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as “a disaster”. Merz then reaffirmed his determination to continue his reform agenda: “What needs to be done now requires courage, resolve and patience. I will bring these qualities to bear as CDU chairman and, above all, as Chancellor of our country.” According to one of the accounts cited by *Handelsblatt*, during the Presidium meeting Merz is said to have indirectly raised the possibility of stepping down as CDU chairman. The suggestion was reportedly discussed and swiftly rejected.