Germany news: Conservative state premiers rally behind Merz

· DW

All eight CDU state premiers have backed Friedrich Merz, urging the party to focus on rebuilding trust. Plus, Germany's coalition is weighing rapid relief as record fuel prices pile pressure on households. DW has more.

  • 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:

Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add DW as a Preferred Source on Google.