Merz Fails Election Test as Greens Win German State Vote
Friedrich Merz speaks during a Christian Democratic Union election campaign event in Stockach, Germany, on March 6.
Photographer: Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty ImagesChancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a setback when his conservatives lost a regional election to the Greens, a stinging blow for the unpopular German leader compounded by a jump in support for the far right.
The Greens in the wealthy southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg secured a narrow victory Sunday over Merz’s Christian Democratic Union, which for months had been projected to seize back power after 15 years of rule by the environmental party. Gaffes by the CDU’s lead candidate and Merz’s broader failure to connect with voters helped melt away a once-robust poll lead.