For Prof. Dr. Kronenberg, the letter from the eight CDU state premiers—published amid rumors of a change in the chancellor—is a sign of weakness, even though it is intended to signal strength and unity within the party. The letter is intended to calm the situation within the party, at least until the state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. However, if the CDU performs poorly—or, in the case of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, fails to win any seats in the state parliament—such discussions would resurface, as there is no prospect of a sudden improvement in the situation, according to Kronenberg.
He also emphasized, however, that Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, is hesitant to replace Merz as chancellor in light of next year’s upcoming state elections. In general, he said, leading the federal government is difficult given stalled reforms and unfulfilled coalition promises, as well as a divided SPD—regardless of whether Merz or someone else is chancellor.