CDU Leader Merz Visits Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Ahead of State Election

Friedrich Merz, the federal chairman of the CDU party, is set to visit Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for the state party congress in Linstow. The visit comes approximately three and a half months before the state election scheduled for September 20.

Prior to the congress, Merz will visit the Laage airbase as part of the Bundeswehr Day, an event expected to draw around 80,000 visitors. At the state party congress, Merz is scheduled to deliver a speech to approximately 170 delegates. He will also hear from the state CDU chairman, Daniel Peters, who is seeking re-election as state chairman and is the sole candidate. Peters, 44, is also the CDU's parliamentary group leader in the state parliament and their lead candidate for the upcoming election.

Despite Merz's visit, recent polling data indicates a challenging landscape for the CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. An Infratest dimap poll from May placed the CDU at 10%, a three-percentage-point drop from January. This figure is significantly lower than the 13.3% the party received in the 2021 state election, which was their historically worst result in the region.