Merz cancels UN speech to stay in Berlin after election losses

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has canceled his planned address to the UN General Assembly in New York next week, government circles said Tuesday, opting to remain in Berlin as his center-right coalition faces collapsing poll numbers and crucial state elections. The chancellor had been scheduled to speak at the General Debate on Wednesday, three days after regional votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, but senior leaders of his Christian Democratic Union will instead hold internal meetings on Monday, followed by a joint session with Bavarian CSU lawmakers on Tuesday.

AfD surges ahead in nationwide polls

The decision to remain in Germany came as a GMS survey published Monday placed the far-right Alternative for Germany at a record 30% nationwide, ten points clear of Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc, which plummeted to 20%. The Social Democrats stood at just 11% in the poll, meaning the chancellor’s coalition would fall short of a parliamentary majority if national elections were held this week, a dramatic shift from the Feb. 23 federal vote when the CDU/CSU won 28.5% and the AfD 20.8%.

State election losses pile pressure on chancellor

Government sources told the dpa news agency that "contrary to original plans, the chancellor will not travel to New York next week, as his presence in Berlin is required," confirming the cancellation first reported Tuesday. The move follows a crushing defeat in Saxony-Anhalt on Sept. 6, where the CDU slumped to a historic low of 17.2% while the anti-immigration AfD captured 43.8%, with Sunday’s regional votes seen as a further test of Merz’s authority.

Leadership speculation mounts

Speculation about a possible change of chancellor has grown for weeks, with North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wuest named as a potential successor inside the CDU, sources said. A leadership fight after the state elections would not by itself dissolve the German parliament or force a snap national vote, officials noted, as parliament could elect a new chancellor without returning to the polls.