German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for unity inside his governing coalition, telling a conference of the Christian Social Union (CSU) in Bavaria on Saturday 24 October 2026 that Germany faces extraordinarily serious challenges from extremists at home and from foreign powers abroad.
Speaking to delegates of the CSU, the Bavarian sister party of his conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), Merz said Germany must safeguard its freedom and security in Europe at a time of growing threats. Reuters reported his warning that Russia was seeking to destabilise Germany on a daily basis, a claim Moscow rejects, saying it is not conducting a hybrid campaign against Germany or other European countries.
FAKTA
- Who: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking at a CSU conference in Bavaria.
- When: Saturday 24 October 2026, as reported by Reuters.
- What: A call for unity in the governing coalition amid coalition tensions and security warnings.
- Context: The speech followed heavy regional election defeats in eastern Germany, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came first in two states and the Left Party topped the poll in Berlin.
- Presidency note: Delegates applauded when Merz mentioned Ilse Aigner, the CSU politician proposed as successor to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is due to step down next year; the CDU has not yet endorsed her.
Merz unity call in Germany
Merz framed the moment as a test of democratic resilience. “How do we safeguard our freedom and our security in Europe, in the face of growing threats from extremists within and foreign powers from without?” he asked delegates, according to Reuters.
He praised CSU ministers in the government and paid tribute to CSU leader Markus Soeder, entering the hall to a Bavarian brass band, in a speech aimed at easing weeks of tension inside the coalition.
Why the coalition is under strain
The unity appeal follows a difficult period for the government. Merz’s approval ratings have fallen to record lows, Reuters reported, and tensions have surfaced both between coalition partners and between the CDU and CSU.
The two conservative sister parties have a long history of disagreements but have generally managed to overcome them, and Saturday’s warm reception for the CSU leadership suggested an effort to reset that relationship in public.
Security warning and the wider European picture
Relations between Berlin and Moscow have fallen to their lowest level since the Cold War following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Reuters noted. Merz’s warning about daily destabilisation efforts sits within a broader European debate about hybrid threats, including disinformation, cyber activity and pressure on critical infrastructure.
Moscow rejects accusations of a hybrid campaign, and this article reports both positions without taking sides: Merz’s warning as stated by him, and Russia’s denial as reported by Reuters.
What happens next
The immediate test is whether the public show of CDU-CSU closeness steadies the coalition. The longer test, as Merz presented it, is whether Germany can hold together its politics at home while responding to security pressures from abroad.
Attention will also turn to the presidential succession. The CDU has so far stopped short of endorsing Aigner, and party sources say it has not abandoned hopes of putting forward its own candidate for the largely ceremonial post of head of state.
Conclusion
Merz used the CSU conference to argue that unity is not a party slogan but a security question. Whether delegates and coalition partners carry that message back into government business will shape the next phase of German politics.
Read more on Watan News: Merz calls for unity in Germany.
