Merz says his party needs to reckon with 'fundamental' questions

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that his Christian Democrats (CDU) will have to address "fundamental and very long-term questions" in the coming days as they come to terms with a historic defeat in the eastern Baltic state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at the weekend.

Merz was speaking at a press conference one day after the CDU failed to enter a state parliament for the first time in the party's 81-year history. The party also lost the mayor's office in Berlin, results that have intensified speculation about Merz's political future.

"To put it bluntly, we no longer have satisfactory answers to far too many questions. And that is something we will - and must - change," Merz said, describing the results as "a major turning point."

Asked by dpa whether he believed that he still had enough backing from within his own ranks to hold on to his job, Merz said that "no one" from within the CDU leadership had raised "any personnel-related questions" following the results last night.

Merz also welcomed the fact that the Social Democrats, the junior partner in his national governing coalition, had reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance on Monday morning, despite the routing of the CDU in Sunday's elections.