Merkz cancels UN General Assembly trip after Saxony-Anhalt defeat

September 16, 2026 at 03:40 AM2 min

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has cancelled his trip to the UN General Assembly in New York, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing sources. The decision comes amid domestic pressure after his CDU party's poor result in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on September 6. Only 14% of Germans approve of Merz's performance as chancellor, according to an INSA poll.

Key Facts

The far-right AfD won the Saxony-Anhalt state election on September 6 with 43.8% of the vote, while the CDU received 17.2%.
In the 2021 Saxony-Anhalt election, the AfD received 20.8% and the CDU 37.1%.
An INSA poll conducted September 10-11 found that 78% of Germans are dissatisfied with Merz's performance as chancellor.
Among CDU/CSU voters, only 36% support Merz, while 58% oppose him.
Merz has scheduled an extraordinary CDU leadership meeting for the evening of September 20, the day of state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin.

Election Defeat

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the Saxony-Anhalt state election on September 6 with 43.8% of the vote. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) received 17.2% of the vote. In the previous state election in 2021, the AfD received 20.8% and the CDU 37.1%.

Domestic Pressure

An INSA poll conducted September 10-11 found that only 14% of Germans believe Merz is handling the role of chancellor well. 78% of respondents said they were dissatisfied with Merz's performance. Among voters of the ruling conservative bloc CDU/CSU, only 36% support the chancellor, while 58% oppose him. Observers believe pressure on Merz could increase if the CDU fails in the upcoming state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin.

UN Trip Cancellation

Reuters reported on Tuesday, September 15, that Merz cancelled his trip to the UN General Assembly in New York, where he was expected to attend next week. A source told Reuters: "Contrary to original plans, the chancellor will not travel to New York next week because his presence is needed in Berlin." Merz told representatives of the Federal Association of Wholesale and Foreign Trade on September 15 that he does not intend to resign before the next Bundestag election. According to Reuters and Deutschlandfunk, Merz has scheduled an extraordinary CDU leadership meeting for the evening of September 20, the day of state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin.