PoliticsMerz under pressure: CDU lawmaker on election setbacks

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing mounting pressure after a series of election setbacks for his center-right CDU, including a defeat to the far-right AfD in Saxony-Anhalt and the party’s failure to pass the five-percent threshold for parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. CDU foreign policy spokesman Jürgen Hardt defends Merz and says key reforms will be crucial to strengthening his position.