Overview
- Seventy-four percent of respondents advise the CDU/CSU to pick someone other than Friedrich Merz for the next federal election, with only 16 percent favoring him.
- Support is tepid within the Union’s own ranks, where 44 percent back a renewed nomination and 43 percent prefer a different candidate.
- On a personal question, just 18 percent say they would welcome Merz running again, while 73 percent oppose it.
- Public views on age are split, with 45 percent saying the job can be done well at 70 and 52 percent preferring a younger chancellor.
- Merz turns 70 with a CDU/CSU reception of about 300 guests at the Reichstag; he is the first chancellor to reach that age in office since Adenauer and the oldest among EU leaders, according to coverage.