Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed at the CDU conference in Stuttgart that his party will stop the far-right AfD from undermining Germany, and warned that the post‑war rules-based international order has shifted. He acknowledged that promised reforms since last year’s election have moved slower than expected but pledged cuts to bureaucracy, lower energy costs, and welfare and pension reforms. Merz was re-elected CDU chairman with 91% support amid about ten minutes of applause as the party prepares for a string of state elections starting next month.
Merz Vows to Block Far-Right AfD and Urges Conservatives to Brace for a Changed World
German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the CDU party congress in Stuttgart, Germany, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen
STUTTGART, Germany, Feb 20 — Chancellor Friedrich Merz used the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) conference in Stuttgart to pledge that his party will prevent the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) from "ruining" the country and urged his fellow conservatives to prepare for a tougher era of great-power competition.
German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz attends the CDU party congress in Stuttgart, Germany, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen
Repeating themes from last weekend's Munich Security Conference, Merz warned that the familiar "rules-based order we knew no longer exists" and argued Germany must adapt its economic and security policies accordingly. He framed economic strength as central to national security and called for reforms to boost competitiveness.
German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz sits behind a voting box during the CDU party congress in Stuttgart, Germany, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen
Merz accepted criticism that the reform program he outlined during last year's campaign has progressed slower than promised. "I will freely admit that perhaps, after the change of government, we did not make it clear quickly enough that we would not be able to achieve this enormous reform effort overnight," he said, acknowledging public frustration as state elections approach.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reacts after being reelected as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader during the CDU party congress in Stuttgart, Germany, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen
Without attacking his coalition partners in the centre-left Social Democrats, Merz pledged to press ahead with measures to cut bureaucracy, reduce energy costs, stimulate investment and pursue further welfare and pension reforms. He said new pension proposals would be brought forward after a revolt by younger CDU members during last year's parliamentary debates.
Manuel Hagel, Ina Scharrenbach and Gordon Schnieder applaud as they stand with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after he was reelected as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader, during the CDU party congress in Stuttgart, Germany, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen
Delegates greeted the speech with roughly ten minutes of applause as a show of party unity. Merz was re-elected CDU chairman with 91% of the vote, avoiding any visible display of internal dissent. Former chancellor Angela Merkel received sustained applause on her first conference visit since stepping down in 2021.
The conference agenda also includes a motion to bar children under 16 from accessing social media platforms, though any legal change would take time because German states retain primary responsibility for media regulation.
State elections begin next month in the western states of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, followed by further contests later in the year, including Saxony-Anhalt in the east, where the AfD hopes to win its first state-level ballot.
Reporting: James Mackenzie and Friederike Heine in Berlin. Editing: Linda Pasquini and Philippa Fletcher.
Help us improve.
