Chancellor Merz Faces Cold Shoulder in East German Election Campaign Amid Far-Right Surge

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is encountering a hesitant welcome from his own party colleagues in eastern Germany as he attempts to aid their election campaigns. Despite his prominent role as CDU leader, several regional branches are choosing to forgo his presence, signaling a potential liability rather than an asset.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where state elections are approaching, Merz is scheduled to speak at a party congress. However, in Saxony-Anhalt, where similar elections are also imminent, Minister-President Sven Schulze has opted against inviting the federal CDU leadership. Polls indicate widespread dissatisfaction with Merz and his government, leading Schulze to believe he can better reduce the significant polling gap with the far-right AfD by campaigning alone. Schulze has even canceled a planned CDU presidium meeting in Magdeburg, fearing Merz's appearance could be detrimental.

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The Germans are maximally dissatisfied with Merz and his government according to polls; there is no glamour in which the campaigners could bask.

Meanwhile, the political landscape in eastern Germany is further complicated by the rise of far-right extremism. In Aue-Bad Schlema, a town of 19,000 in Saxony, a neo-Nazi candidate, Stefan Hartung, is competing in a mayoral runoff election. Hartung, who is the deputy chairman of the far-right group 'Freie Sachsen' and a member of the party 'Die Heimat' (formerly NPD), secured 29 percent of the vote in the first round, significantly outperforming his CDU rival. The potential election of Hartung underscores the growing influence of extremist parties in the region.

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I traveled through my homeland, AfD territory. And I realize: I was wrong.