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Merz rejects possibility of collapse of the ruling coalition in Germany

19 July 2026 23:26 (UTC +04:00)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has ruled out the possibility of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leaving the government coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and stated that he is not seeking alternative coalitions in Berlin, APA reports.

"I'm not looking for another coalition in Berlin. I want this coalition to succeed. It's not easy for either partner: neither the SPD with us, nor us with the SPD," Merz said in a "summer interview" with ZDF , answering a question about whether he had identified a time for the CDU to leave the ruling alliance if the coalition proves ineffective.

At the same time, the German Chancellor emphasized that there is a mandate. "And this mandate extends beyond the interests of our two parties. We are tasked with maintaining the country's course in these extremely turbulent times. And we accept this challenge. I assume that this is indisputable for us, but I also expect it to apply to the SPD as well," Merz concluded.