Overview

• The CDU has confirmed that the website 'friedrich-merz-cdu.de' is a fraudulent site impersonating Chancellor Friedrich Merz and spreading fabricated coalition contract content.
• False claims on the site include promises of higher refugee payments, 300,000 social housing units for foreigners, and Arabic road signage, none of which appear in the official coalition document.
• The CDU announced plans to file a criminal complaint and is working with authorities to address the disinformation campaign.
• A right-wing account on X amplified the fake site on Wednesday, garnering 220,000 views and raising concerns about online political manipulation.
• The Bundesinnenministerium has noted similarities between this disinformation effort and previous pro-Russian campaigns, though the operators of the fake site remain unidentified.