The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party congress came as Merz faces pressure over a limping economy, poor personal approval ratings and the sustained threat of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of several regional elections.
Undeterred, Merz gave a vigorous speech in which he sought to assure around 1,000 top delegates of the CDU that his government remains committed to meeting its bold campaign pledges.
“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.”
But, in a speech that fired up delegates in the southern city of Stuttgart, he vowed “to motivate us to peak performance” rather than “be dragged down by pessimism, fatalism and intellectual laziness”.
Party delegates thanked him for his passion and candour by re-electing him as party chief with 91% 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, 70, has made it his mission to steer the CDU back to its conservative roots and undo the liberal legacy of Merkel, especially her welcome to more than a million migrants a decade ago.
Whatever differences they have had, they did not show them, instead greeting each other with smiles in the packed hall.
Global splash, trouble at home
Merz, after his party’s February 2025 election win, took office in May at the helm of a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) of ex-chancellor Olaf Scholz.
At the time, Merz boldly vowed to revitalise the stagnating economy, limit irregular migration, rearm Germany to deter Russia, and strengthen Germany’s role in the world.
On the global stage, Merz has made a splash, taking a lead role on supporting Ukraine, stepping up defence spending and maintaining dialogue with US President Donald Trump.
“We stand with the Ukrainian people without any ifs or buts,” Merz stressed Friday.
But on the home front, the score card has been more mixed as his plans for boosting Europe’s biggest economy were slowed by Trump’s tariff blitz and other hurdles.
With GDP growth forecast at a meagre one per cent this year, the captains of Germany Inc have harshly attacked the leader of Germany’s pro-business party.
Rainer Dulger, head of business group BDA, called on Merz this week to present “a genuine reform programme” with tax and social welfare cuts and less bureaucracy.
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.
Another poll shock came this week when Merz was deemed less popular than Scholz – whose bland leadership style Merz mercilessly mocked while in opposition – in an INSA survey for Bild daily.
Merz, a longtime proponent of fiscal discipline, broke a campaign promise of no new debt before even taking office in order to finance a spending splurge on defence and infrastructure.
“I am well aware that this opening up of new debt was a tough pill to swallow for many, including here in this room,” said Merz. “It was for me too. This decision was perhaps the hardest I’ve had to make in the last 12 months.”
Merz has also turned off many voters with often blunt comments, recently questioning whether Germans – with their many sick days – still deserve their reputation as hard workers.
“We cannot maintain prosperity with a four-day week and work-life balance,” he has told them.
Uwe Jun of Trier University told AFP that Merz – a millionaire hobby pilot – “still struggles when it comes to public likeability”.
Merz appeared undaunted when talking about his future this week.
“I intend to continue doing this for quite some time,” he said, pointing out that his father just turned 102.