"Perhaps we didn't make it clear quickly enough after the change of government that we couldn't accomplish this enormous reform effort overnight," Merz told them, adding: "I accept this criticism." Party delegates thanked him for his passion and candour by re-electing him as party chief with 91 percent of the vote --- not an unusual result for a party that values tight discipline, but one that visibly relieved Merz. Among the high-profile guests for the first time in years was his predecessor and long-time party rival Angela Merkel. Merz has faced headwinds from surveys that have often given the AfD a lead over the CDU/CSU coalition of his party and its Bavarian sister the Christian Social Union. Uwe Jun of Trier University told AFP that Merz -- a millionaire hobby pilot -- "still struggles when it comes to public likeability".

Source: The Local February 21, 2026 20:57 UTC