Overview
- On Saturday, October 10, 2026, CSU elder Horst Seehofer published a pointed critique in BILD that was picked up by WELT and Stern criticizing Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s record and tone.
- Seehofer said Merz has suffered a “massive loss of credibility” for breaking campaign promises, citing the Union’s unfulfilled pledge to cut the electricity tax as a concrete example.
- He sharply condemned Merz’s comments about German work habits as hurtful to ordinary workers and urged the government to stop creating more expert commissions and to act with greater speed.
- Seehofer warned that political standards are at risk if parties enter coalitions with groups he described as pro‑Palestinian or involving alleged antisemites, framing this as a threat to legitimacy.
- The public rebuke compounds long‑running problems for Merz, who has faced months of weak approval in polls reported by Der Spiegel with Ipsos data, and increases intra‑Union pressure for tangible relief on taxes, rents and energy costs.