Proposal by the Commission for a harmonized food labeling law across Member States
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Holds Private Meeting with CDU Leadership
In a move aimed at addressing the challenges facing his coalition government, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a private meeting with his CDU leadership team at the Chancellery. The meeting, which took place after 100 days in office, was not focused on the state of the coalition with the SPD, as earlier reports may have suggested. Instead, the discussion centred on the state of cooperation within the government and public sentiment.
The meeting was attended by key figures within the CDU, including Deputy Party Leaders Karin Prien, Federal Minister of Education, Agriculture State Secretary Silvia Breher, CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann, North Rhine-Westphalia's Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann, and Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer.
The gathering came as the Merz-SPD coalition government faces significant tensions and challenges. Since taking office following the 2025 federal election, the coalition has been marked by controversies, political management struggles, and credibility issues.
The coalition's policy compromises, such as allocating part of a massive 1 trillion Euro debt package to climate protection under pressure from the Greens, have reflected fragile inter-party negotiation and differing priorities. Merz's credibility has also suffered due to a Bundestag motion tightening asylum policies passed with the populist AfD votes, contradicting his pledge to avoid collaboration with the AfD.
Despite these challenges, Merz has shown stronger leadership on the international stage, notably on issues such as Ukraine and relations with the US. However, domestic approval remains low due to fragmented politics and a lack of charisma.
The meeting with the CDU's top brass was initially reported by the "Bild" newspaper. The Chancellor was available for any necessary pre-talks during his time at the Chancellery. After the meeting, Merz left the Chancellery after midnight to prepare for video conferences with US President Donald Trump and others on Wednesday.
The meeting is a sign that Merz is actively seeking to address the challenges facing his government and assert more decisive leadership to avoid further erosion of trust and electoral support. The coalition faces pressure to find common ground and present a united front to the public in order to regain credibility and stability.
- The meeting with the CDU's top brass, including the Federal Minister of Education Karin Prien, focused on discussing education policy and legislation to help strengthen the coalition's standing among the general public.
- As the Merz-SPD coalition government grapples with domestic approval issues and the need for policy compromises, there is growing pressure on politics and policy-and-legislation to address the challenges and present a unified front to the general news media.
