Merz and Schulze respond CDU's full press conference

Mar 18, 2025

At CDU headquarters after presidium and federal executive meetings, Friedrich Merz calls the Saxony-Anhalt result shocking and the CDU's worst defeat in decades. He accepts personal responsibility, claims continuing CDU leadership support and rejects giving up, while promising more empathy and better explanations. He thanks Sven Schulze for campaigning with what he calls full federal support, criticizes a deputy parliamentary leader's pre-election conduct and later rebukes the Young Union's attacks while acknowledging his own communication problem. He maintains the need for economic and social-security reforms, proposes coalition talks, acknowledges concerns about retirement after 45 contribution years and remains open to broader tax relief subject to sound finances. He describes the recovery as fragile and industrial job losses as exceeding new firms' job creation. Retrospectively, he defends the March 2025 constitutional borrowing changes as necessary, claims stronger defense and a role in preserving NATO, but admits sustained growth and improved social security have not yet followed and his political credit remains unpaid. Schulze says the CDU has no governing mandate and will enter opposition. He discusses federal issues, tactical second votes, mobilized previous non-voters and failure to turn personal popularity into party votes, and proposes broader party analysis without announcing resignation. He rules out CDU defections and predicts BSW will enable an AfD premier; these remain forecasts. Merz promises Basic Law protections for minorities under a possible AfD government and explains federal authority and state loyalty in migration policy. Challenged about Russia-friendly electoral support, he refuses to weaken Ukraine support, alleges Russian destabilization and defends disclosure of the Leipzig attribution despite tactical criticism. His week-before-last description is retained without a reconciled attribution date. All questions and complete responses remain included. Four unidentified moderator/journalist labels have no person IDs.

Merz retrospectively describes the outgoing Bundestag's March 2025 constitutional changes as prerequisites for better defense and economic growth. In September 2026 he says the parliamentary balance required acting before the newly elected chamber assembled, claims defense improved and the decision helped keep NATO together, but admits sustained growth and stronger social protection have not followed. His causal claims remain attributed; his later assessment is not the amendment's occurrence date.