Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany, on Monday refrained from discussing the recent electoral defeats of her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and emphasized the need for the party to return to its identity as a people's party.
Pressure on Merz after poor electoral results
The CDU party and its current leader, Friedrich Merz, are under pressure following disastrous electoral results that led to a defeat against the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD). Merkel, who led Germany from 2005 to 2021, did not directly refer to the election results or Merz. She only indirectly referenced Sunday’s results, stating, "On a day like today, and after a night like yesterday, it might be worth reconsidering what we can learn from Konrad Adenauer."
Read more: Austria and 10 other countries called for a halt to new EU regulations
Election results and Merz's promises
Most of the discussions on stage were related to art, and the lack of deeper political discussion in light of the scale of CDU's recent defeats was notable. On September 6, the AfD achieved 43.8% of the votes in Saxony-Anhalt, more than doubling its 2021 results, while the CDU fell to 17.2%, marking the worst result in the party's history in the eastern state. On Sunday, the AfD secured about 38% of the votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the CDU suffered a severe loss, recording its worst result in Germany since the war.
Merz called these defeats a "disaster" and promised to revise the platform, structure, and public image of the CDU. An ARD-DeutschlandTrend poll conducted earlier this month showed that only 13% of voters are satisfied with Merz's performance, which is a historic low.
Merkel then addressed how politicians can connect with voters. She stated, "We must accept that the question of how to maintain contact with citizens and potential voters has changed dramatically." If politicians want to convey positive messages, she added, they must show the public "what guides my thinking, where I have doubts, and what I have considered."
Read more: Antonio Costa called for strengthening EU relations with Canada · The electoral map of the Republican Senate has expanded
