Unity in Meschede: Wüst backs Merz against speculation of a change of chancellor

"To be absolutely clear once again: the speculation of the past few days is simply nonsense. I can only warn against such rumors and personnel speculation," Wüst said, according to dpa. At the event, he repeated: "I said it publicly on Wednesday, I said it publicly on Friday, and I repeat it again: Such personnel speculation is not only nonsense, I also want to explicitly warn against it." Looking at Merz, he added: "And you, dear Friedrich, have my full personal support and the full support of the entire CDU North Rhine-Westphalia."

Wüst's clear words towards Berlin

Merz, who comes from the Sauerland region, stayed for just under an hour during the consultations, according to WDR. He thanked the NRW state government for its work in difficult times, according to participants. At the same time, he emphasized that the NRW government is taking a pioneering role in artificial intelligence, innovation, and administrative modernization. He described the CDU state association in North Rhine-Westphalia as more influential than ever before: under Wüst, its weight in federal politics is greater than ever.

The joint public appearance of the two politicians before and after the consultations clearly aimed to demonstrate unity and end the speculation about Merz's replacement. The Chancellor did not answer journalists' questions during the appearance. According to dpa and WDR, the event was organized in such a way that the media did not have close access to Merz and Wüst. After a handshake farewell, Wüst quickly returned to the hotel with a serious expression.

Sharp reaction from the Chancellor's office

There were particularly sharp tones from the Chancellor's circle. Anonymous confidants of Merz spoke of "wild speculation" that demonstrated "remarkable ignorance of the constitution and political reality" and accused the originators of a "dangerous desire to stir things up." This sharpness, according to the analysis in the NZZ Deutschland newsletter "Der andere Blick am Abend," had the paradoxical effect of creating the impression that something could actually be starting to slip.

Behind the scenes, the mood at the retreat was initially good, according to several participants, including members of the state parliament. Accordingly, the speculation about the chancellor played no major role at the beginning of the two-day consultations. Both Merz and Wüst received prolonged applause during the meeting, as participants reported. Overall, the event was designed as a routine meeting of CDU representatives from the state, federal, and European levels.

Background: NRW as a heavyweight of the Union

The state election in North Rhine-Westphalia is scheduled for about a year from now, in April 2027. With 18 million inhabitants, North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous federal state; Wüst governs there in Düsseldorf in a coalition with the Greens. The CDU state association NRW is the largest and most influential within the Union in terms of membership. The parliamentary group leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Jens Spahn, also comes from North Rhine-Westphalia. Spahn had also described the rumors of a change as "nonsense" and expressed his full support for Merz.

Other CDU state leaders also stood behind the Chancellor. Hessian Minister-President Boris Rhein declared at a state party congress: "We don't need less Merz, we need more Merz. We are the majority, we are the center, we are Merz." In opinion polls, a majority of Germans reject a change of chancellor; many do not see such a step as a threat after just over a year in office.

Strains beyond the personnel debate

Wüst is described in the report as a political counterpoint to Merz: as a representative of a "Merkelianer" who stands for more balance, less escalation, a denser internal party power structure, and a stronger orientation towards the political center. The newsletter also refers to the foreign policy context: the temporary suspension of arms deliveries to Israel announced in the summer of the previous year had caused significantly stronger irritation within the CDU than expected by the leadership. Furthermore, the Union's approval ratings had reached a historically low level; Merz is considered as unpopular as hardly any chancellor since 1949.

In the background, there are also strains in economic and defense policy. According to a report from the Federal Ministry of Finance obtained by the Handelsblatt, the federal government significantly missed its spending targets for the 500-billion-euro special fund for infrastructure and climate protection in 2025. Instead of the planned 37.2 billion euros, only 24 billion euros flowed into projects. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) came under criticism, according to ARD reports, for a general decree that suspended the reporting obligation for young men for stays abroad of more than three months; the Scientific Services of the Bundestag interpreted this as an overreach of authority.

Despite these strains, the appearance in Meschede was demonstratively harmonious. The joint photos and Wüst's clear declarations were seen in Berlin's political circles as an attempt to end the personnel debate for the time being. The report is by Birgit Baumann from Berlin and was published on June 1, 2026. It was based, among other things, on a WDR reporter on site and reports from dpa.