Merz Under Siege as AfD Targets Conservatives | Europe News

Germany’s far-right AfD is on the offensive, aggressively poaching conservative lawmakers and declaring the CDU can’t win elections anymore — forcing Chancellor Friedrich Merz into a leadership crisis. With approval ratings in single digits and looming state elections, Merz admits his party’s defeat is its worst in decades and blames himself for failing to connect with voters. He’s pivoting toward empathy, but internal dissent grows louder as AfD exploits the gap, attacking conservatives while pretending to collaborate — all while Merz vows to change course. The question now: Can Merz rebuild trust — or will his party force a reckoning? Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/a18b6711daf8bc38