Merz Dismisses Minority-Government Option After Reports of CDU/CSU Contingency Planning

Overview

• Bild reported that CDU/CSU lawmakers are mapping scenarios for a coalition breakup before 2029, including a minority government if the 2026 budget is adopted by the end of November.
• At a Süddeutsche Zeitung conference, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said governing with shifting majorities is not workable and declared a minority option excluded.
• The Bild account described rising frustration in the bloc with the SPD over stalled military-service legislation and disputes on pension and tax reforms.
• The CDU/CSU holds 208 of 630 Bundestag seats, meaning any post-coalition governing would require bill-by-bill arrangements, with cooperation with the AfD considered taboo.
• Party sources and observers highlight the late-November budget decision and the March 22, 2026 Rheinland-Pfalz state election as key near-term tests for the coalition’s stability.