Overview
- RTL confirmed that "Am Tisch mit Friedrich Merz" will air live on Thursday, 27 August 2026 at 22:15 on free‑to‑air TV and on the RTL+ livestream.
- The format puts citizens, not journalists, at the center: four people will ask Merz questions in a town‑hall style discussion moderated by Pinar Atalay.
- The conversation will focus on hot‑button topics including the possible consequences of an AfD win in Saxony‑Anhalt, the government reform package, Ukraine aid, and public safety.
- RTL will follow the live show at about 23:30 with a 30‑minute documentary, "Kein Land für alle – Wer verliert, wenn die AfD gewinnt?", featuring a doctor, a teacher and an evangelical pastor describing concrete local effects of an AfD victory.
- Commentators view the program as part of Merz’s effort to reshape his public messaging after the ZDF summer interview, and the wide free‑to‑air and streaming reach could influence voter perceptions ahead of the Saxony‑Anhalt state vote.