Overview
- Senior CDU figures and all eight CDU minister-presidents issued public backing for Friedrich Merz, and parliamentary leader Thorsten Frei said he expects Merz to remain chancellor and urged the party to drop leadership debates.
- CDU officials warned that leadership swaps or a minority government would make it harder to pass tax, energy and social reforms and could leave coalition business open to AfD influence.
- FC Bayern defeated Union Berlin 7-0 and rose briefly to the top of the Bundesliga, with Michael Olise scoring a hat-trick and Harry Kane reaching his 100th Bundesliga goal.
- Union Berlin are struggling defensively, having conceded ten goals in three matches, and the club’s tactical shift under new coach Mauro Lustrinelli has exposed gaps while the team searches for stability.
- Match security remains a major concern after April’s Dresden–Hertha riots: heavy fines, 17 injuries and an ongoing police investigation have prompted stricter ticketing and buffer-zone measures for high-risk fixtures.