Germany news: Conservative state premiers rally behind Merz

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• All eight Christian Democratic Union (CDU) state premiers have publicly backed Chancellor Friedrich Merz amid growing unease over his leadership
• The premiers said the party should focus on rebuilding trust rather than debating whether to replace Merz
• Germany's coalition is considering rapid relief as petrol and diesel prices climb to record or near-record levels
• The center-right CDU is pushing tax cuts, while the center-left Social Democratic Party favors a price cap

Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, August 16, 2026:

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Skip next section Germany weighs fuel price relief as costs hit records

September 16, 2026

Germany weighs fuel price relief as costs hit records

Germany's governing coalition is considering rapid measures to ease the burden of soaring fuel costs after the price of E10 gasoline reached a record high for a fourth consecutive day.

Thorsten Frei, parliamentary leader of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union, called for relief measures to take effect as early as October 1.

"People don't need the prospect of relief now; they need relief," Frei told broadcasters RTL and ntv.

The coalition's center-left Social Democratic Party is also calling for swift action, although the governing parties remain divided over how motorists should be helped.

Germany weighs fuel relief as gasoline prices soar

https://p.dw.com/p/5Mgxl

Skip next section Conservative state premiers rally behind Merz amid leadership row

September 16, 2026

Conservative state premiers rally behind Merz amid leadership row

The eight German state premiers from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have issued a joint statement backing him as pressure mounts over his leadership following the party's election defeat in Saxony-Anhalt.

Germany needs "stability more than ever," the premiers said on Wednesday, calling for unity within the CDU and arguing that the way to rebuild voters' trust was through "listening and political action, not personnel debates."

Merz has come under intense pressure since the CDU's poor showing in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, with some figures in the party raising the possibility of replacing him as chancellor.

He has called a meeting of the CDU leadership for Sunday evening, after two state elections this weekend, and canceled a planned trip to New York next week for the UN General Assembly debate.

The statement was signed by all eight CDU state premiers: Daniel Günther of Schleswig-Holstein, Boris Rhein of Hesse, Sven Schulze of Saxony-Anhalt, Kai Wegner of Berlin, Michael Kretschmer of Saxony, Gordon Schnieder of Rhineland-Palatinate, Mario Voigt of Thuringia and Hendrik Wüst of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Their intervention comes ahead of state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, with the premiers saying the party must concentrate on restoring public confidence rather than debating its leadership.

Germany's Chancellor Merz reels as far-right AfD makes gains

https://p.dw.com/p/5Mguk

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage

September 16, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Guten Tag from the DW newsroom in Bonn.

You join us as Germany's eight state premiers from the center-right Christian Democratic Union close ranks behind Chancellor Friedrich Merz as pressure on his leadership grows.

Their intervention follows the party's heavy defeat to the far-right Alternative for Germany in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Meanwhile, the government is under growing pressure to act as fuel prices continue to climb.

Stay with us here for these stories and more of what Germany is talking about today.