German Chancellor Friedrich Merz makes appeal to AfD voters

The annual summer press conference with the German chancellor is one of the last public events before the holidays.

Friedrich Merzwill also be going on vacation soon and the Federal Press Conference Room in the German capital Berlin was packed with journalists eager to hear what he would say.

They were greeted by a chancellor who appeared to be quite content with himself — and that despite poor poll numbers, with only between 13% and 20% of people in Germany satisfied with how he and his coalition of conservatives and Social Democrats are doing their jobs.

"The coalition has found its footing," said Merz. "The outcome has been positive," he continued. "The federal government has found its rhythm, despite some criticism. We've delivered." He was referring to reforms — adopted but not yet approved by Parliament — pertaining to pensions, healthcare and taxes, which he went on to elaborate on in detail.

He specifically mentioned reforms to the pension system, which will allocate a small portion of retirement funds toward investments for the first time. "We should have done this 30 years ago, just like the Swedes, the Danes, the Dutch and many others around the world who did it long ago. But at least we're starting now," Merz said.

Journalists mainly asked about the AfD

Despite all these reforms, the journalists' questions turned to the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a party Germany's domestic intelligence agency describes in part as far-right extremist. The AfD currently leads in the polls ahead of two state elections in eastern German states this September.

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The chancellor began by evading the question, but when pressed, he surprisingly addressed voters in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania directly: "Take a close look; don't let information from social media — no matter where it is coming from — be your only source. Instead, look at what the federal government is trying to accomplish," Merz said.

In response to a question from a journalist from the Netherlands, the German chancellor argued that it would indeed be "something else entirely" if right-wing extremists were once again able to seize power in Germany, of all places, given its Nazi past.

Despite the polls, he did not appear to be worried about the September elections. "The election campaigns are just getting underway. I am confident that we will succeed in preventing the AfD from securing a majority of seats in the state legislatures of the three states — especially in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania," he said.

Elections are due not only in those two eastern German states in September, but also in Berlin, which is a federal state in its own right.

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Criticism of US policy

A question from DW addressed a report about plans by the US State Department to launch a $5 million (€4.3 million) grant program designed to support MAGA-alligned groups in Europe, which might include those affiliated with the AfD. "I have always said that we, for our part, do not interfere in US elections," Merz said in response. "We have always adhered to that principle. And conversely, I do not want US institutions to interfere in German elections. And perhaps one additional point: It is illegal to finance political parties in Germany from abroad."

Despite the problems, Merz did his best to exude confidence, even though issues such as the crumbling infrastructure, the increasing polarization of society and — last but not least — the sluggish economy are a major cause for concern for many people. On this last point, the chancellor admitted that there was still a significant need to catch up. Economically, the country is not where he would like it to be, he said: "We've achieved a lot, but it's still far from enough." The key issue, he explained, is how to restore the competitiveness of the German economy. It is only at this point that Merz made reference to the unpredictable US president, Donald Trump, without actually mentioning him by name. The US government, Merz said, had "harmed" the German economy through its tariff policy.

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Merz defends proposal for Ukraine's EU association

In response to another question from DW, the German chancellor reiterated his controversial proposal to initially grant Ukraine only the prospect of EU associate membership (without voting rights). Merz said it was important to be honest with the embattled country and explain that the path to Europe is more difficult than initially thought, but that he, Merz, is now in favor of taking small but steady steps.

"At the moment, we are essentially considering five Western Balkan states, Moldova and Ukraine as prospective new members of the European Union. They are waiting for the European Union to take the next steps," Merz said, acknowledging that it had been 13 years since the bloc had admitted any new members, even though there had been many promises. Now, small but sincere steps are needed to ensure the EU maintains its credibility, the chancellor said. "If we lose this credibility, we lose these countries."

Some tentative soul-searching

At one point, Merz did offer a moment of self-criticism: During the election campaign about a year and a half ago, he had promised to put an end to taking on new debt. Only to launch a massive debt package shortly thereafter to fund the rearmament of the Bundeswehr, climate protection and infrastructure. This, he said, has now become a "significant burden on my personal credibility as well."

This was one of the few moments, however, in which the German chancellor showed any hesitation about his policies. He insisted that the coalition of conservatives and Social Democrats would continue to govern calmly and resolutely.

This article was translated from German.

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