Merz Faces Isolation in Own Party as AfD Gains and Poll Numbers Sink

Chancellor Friedrich Merz confronted a subdued and increasingly skeptical audience inside the Reichstag building in Berlin on a recent Monday evening, as he opened a regular meeting of the joint CDU/CSU parliamentary group under mounting pressure over his party's declining political standing.

Witnesses inside the room described Merz taking his time before the session began, setting down a green folder and his smartphone on the lectern and pulling his chair forward in front of the parliamentary group's leadership bench. The deliberate pause, according to those present, reflected the weight of a moment in which the chancellor's authority within his own conservative bloc appears to be eroding.

The meeting came amid a run of disappointing results for the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, in recent votes, and against a backdrop of opinion polling that has shown the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, closing in on the threshold of real political power. Party figures and political observers have described the current period as one of the most difficult of Merz's chancellorship, with his personal approval ratings falling to some of the lowest levels recorded since he took office.

Members of the parliamentary group who attended the session said the mood inside was tense, with lawmakers voicing concern that the coalition's standing with voters has weakened significantly. Several described a sense of growing distance between Merz and parts of his own party, as criticism mounts over the direction of the government and its handling of recent electoral setbacks.

The chancellor's office has not issued a detailed public response to the internal criticism, though allies of Merz have pointed to the complexity of governing in a fragmented political landscape where the AfD continues to draw support from voters dissatisfied with the mainstream parties. The AfD has in recent months posted some of its strongest polling figures to date, according to widely cited surveys, fueling anxiety among CDU/CSU lawmakers about the party's ability to hold ground in future elections.

Political analysts following the parliamentary group's internal dynamics say further electoral tests loom on the calendar, and that additional losses could deepen doubts about Merz's leadership. Some lawmakers, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of internal party discussions, said they feared the chancellor was becoming increasingly isolated as pressure builds from both the party's conservative wing and its more centrist members.

The scene inside the Reichstag on Monday evening, with Merz composing himself at length before addressing colleagues, was cited by several participants as emblematic of the strain now visible at the top of the German government. One CDU parliamentarian, who was present at the session, said the atmosphere in the room had shifted noticeably compared with earlier meetings this year, though the lawmaker declined to elaborate further on specific exchanges that took place behind closed doors.

The CDU and CSU have governed in coalition since Merz became chancellor, but the alliance has faced recurring friction over economic policy, migration, and how to respond to the AfD's growing appeal, particularly in eastern German states where the far-right party has performed strongly in recent contests. Merz has previously ruled out any cooperation with the AfD at the national level, a position that remains official CDU policy.

Despite the difficult mood, no formal challenge to Merz's leadership has been announced within the parliamentary group, and senior party officials have publicly maintained that the chancellor retains their support. Still, the private unease described by multiple lawmakers points to a period of heightened scrutiny for Merz as his government approaches further electoral tests in the coming months.

Officials from the CDU and CSU are expected to continue closed-door discussions in the coming weeks over strategy ahead of upcoming votes, with several lawmakers indicating that the party's response to the AfD's rise and its own sagging poll numbers will be a central topic of debate at future sessions of the parliamentary group.