German Chancellor Warns Of Global Power Shift
STUTTGART Germany: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday pledged to prevent the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) from destabilizing the country, as he urged his conservative bloc to brace for an increasingly volatile era of global power competition.
Addressing delegates at the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party conference in Stuttgart, Merz delivered a forceful speech centered on national unity, economic reform, and Germany’s geopolitical positioning. He reiterated warnings first made at the Munich Security Conference, declaring that the “rules-based order we knew no longer exists.”
“We will not allow these people from the so-called Alternative for Germany to ruin our country,” Merz told party members, drawing strong applause. The conference also welcomed former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received a standing ovation in her first appearance at the gathering since stepping down in 2021.
Facing declining poll numbers ahead of a crucial series of state elections, Merz acknowledged that some promised reforms had progressed more slowly than initially projected. He conceded that after the change of government, expectations may not have been managed clearly enough regarding the scale and timeline of the reform agenda.
Merz also signaled further reforms to the welfare and pension systems, following last year’s internal disputes within the CDU. Younger party members had previously voiced strong opposition during a contentious parliamentary debate, pushing for structural changes to ensure long-term sustainability.
His speech was met with approximately ten minutes of applause, as delegates rallied behind him in a visible show of unity. Merz was subsequently re-elected as CDU chairman with 91 percent of the vote, avoiding any overt signs of internal dissent.
The conference agenda also includes discussion of a proposal to restrict access to social media platforms for children under 16. However, any such legislation would require coordination with Germany’s state governments, which hold primary responsibility for media regulation under the federal system.
