Merkel’s party suffers worst-ever results in polls

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party faced the toughest times as the German pols showed the worst-ever results. Norbert Roettgen, a senior official in the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), described the disastrous results as a “wake-up call”, The National has learned.

Angela Merkel’s political party faced a crisis, the CDU suffers heavy losses in two important regional elections on Sunday. Across the country, voters punished the party for a series of COVID-19 setbacks and a face-mask procurement scandal.

The centre-right CDU endured its worst-ever results in the south-western states. In fact, the vote was regarded as a snapshot of the national mood ahead of a general election on September 26 – when Merkel’s successor will be chosen.

“We know that the coronavirus pandemic and the crisis management is troubling people, and we all have to ask ourselves where can we be faster, where can we be more pragmatic and where can be better,” Paul Ziemiak, the CDU’s general secretary, said.

Meantime, Greens’ popularity has surged nationwide in recent years. Its co-leader Robert Habeck hailed a “super start to a super election year”.