Overview

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz summoned CDU figures including Karin Prien, Michael Kretschmer and Carsten Linnemann to a crisis session in the Kanzleramt on August 12
• The talks were triggered by Merz’s announcement last week to pause authorizations of German weapons that could be used in the Gazastreifen without prior consultation with CSU leader Markus Söder
• Söder and other CSU members have publicly demanded a revision of the export freeze, criticizing the decision as a breach of intra‐Union cooperation
• Within the SPD, reactions split between MPs warning the move weakens Israel’s defenses and Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil defending the suspension as justified
• Facing approval ratings around 29–32 percent, Merz is under pressure to improve communication and cohesion in the black-red coalition after a turbulent first 100 days