Political earthquake in Germany. After Friedrich Merz's decision
The Sunday meeting of representatives of the federal government with Union politicians (CDU/CSU) from the Foreign Policy Committee ended in the contrary to the intended purpose. It was to bring the MPs of both parties to the reasons for changing the position of chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the policy towards Israel and calm them down.
However, the unplanned exchange of sentences on Sunday afternoon ended with a scandal. Apparently, nothing in the way the chancellor is communicated has been going his way lately.
From the beginning of the meeting with the participation of approximately 30 people, the details of the conversation were virtually immediately transmitted. At some point The meeting no longer makes sense.
Members of the committee complained that they could just as well just hear the Chancellor directly, instead of obtaining information from his main foreign policy advisor Guenter Sautter and employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Merz gave the Ard a spontaneous interview to a change in policy towards Israel, which was available online during the meeting. – Why are we going here? One of the participants asked.
During the meeting, very general issues were raised. For example, under what conditions the Chancellor would withdraw a partial embargo. Participants received general answers from Sautter. After just over an hour, the conversation came to an end. – I am disappointed with the result. I am not convinced by the words of the Chancellor spoken in an interview – said after the meeting a member of the commission in an interview with Die Welt.
According to another member of the committee, the mood in the party is bad after the Chancellor announced on Friday a change in the course in politics towards Israel. And now they are not better at all. Both politicians who spoke on this subject belong to the CDU, where the anger at Merza is still within the norm. However, the atmosphere is really hot in CSU.
Continued article under video material
The Chancellor did not inform representatives of the sister party that he was going to open a completely new chapter in relations with Israel. And the unlimited solidarity so far will now be limited. “In these circumstances, the federal government does not allow the export of military equipment, which can be used in the Gaza Strip,” said the Chancellor on Friday after the Prime Minister of Israel Binjamin Netanyahu announced the extension of military activities in Gaza. The chancellor surprised the sister CSU party with this move.
Merz's announcement was agreed. But with whom?
The chancellor's advisers tried to create a different impression on the weekend in the time of the scenes. In their opinion, Merz's announcement was agreed. Only with whom? The Chancellor himself said in an interview with ARD: – I did not make this decision myself. Let's repeat: with whom?
On Sunday, high -ranking members of CSU, who have some influence in Berlin and in the parliamentary union faction, said: – We didn't know anything about it anyway.
Also during the preliminary meeting of the office on Wednesday last week, the topic of Israel was not raised, Christian socialists say. – Unlimited solidarity with Israel is “one of the principles of CSU, part of our DNA. It is also a strategic issue and cannot be undermined under the influence of current political events – said a member of the CSU management in an interview with “Die Welt”.
In the party it is said that she would not support Merz's embargo. “CSU did not participate in this decision, we consider her doubtful,” said the head of the CSU Parliamentary Group in the Bundestag Alexander Hoffmann in “Bild”.
Another blow to the coalition
The coalition is once again in a difficult situation – this time its foundations were shaken. SPD outrage has not yet passed caused by the failure of the selection of the candidate of this party Frauke Bryius-Gersdorf as a judge of the Federal Constitutional Tribunal, and The Chancellor is already setting a sister party against himself. And yet CDU and CSU promised each other's mutual consent, the end of mutual disputes, as was the case in 2020 and 2021, which led to a serious defeat in the elections to the Bundestag and the creation of the government of the Coalition of Light Signaling [SPD, FDP i Zielonych].
Merz repeatedly promised in the election campaign that he wanted a government who “will not argue”. CSU leader Markus Soeder largely warns the friendship pact. Chancellor Merz does not. Wherever he can, he puts the Bavarian party in an adverse situation. For example, by rejecting the tax relief from electricity for everyone. The Chancellor discussed this with his vice -channel, head of SPD and finance minister Lars Klingbeil. But not with Soeder and CSU.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz talks with the German finance minister Lars Klingbeil, Berlin, 6 August 2025.Michael Kappeler / DPA / PAP
At the last moment, the rejection of the candidacy of Bryius-Gersdorf only found out when it was already a foregone conclusion. It was the same in the case of a change in the course in politics towards Israel. Most CSU members are silent on this subject. Many Union activists witnessed, as in September 2015, during the refugee crisis, the then German Chancellor and the head of CDU Angel Merkel decided not to close the boundaries and set up the then head of CSU Horst Seehofer before the fact made.
As a result, there was an endless exchange of blows, which seriously strained the atmosphere in a great coalition. This should not happen. But it happened. Merz takes further independent actions. And apparently he does not understand the confusion around limited supply of weapons: according to his surroundings, it is only about “nuances” in politics towards Israel.
Interestingly, it was the Vice Chancellor and the head of SPD Klingbeil again that was to be initiated into this change of position. Klingbeil is a member of the Federal Security Council, and only this nine -member body can make decisions on weapons supply. However, this body also includes the Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
CDU and SPD against CSU
CSU members are now wondering how to correct the partial Chancellor's embargo. Merz can no longer withdraw his decision. This would accuse the “change of position after changing the position”, i.e. the departure from the current German policy towards Israel, which Merz wanted to implement.
And CSU is not able to actually stop the Chancellor. The Federal Security Council makes decisions regarding the supply of weapons unanimously. However, this authority only decides what systems can be delivered to a given country. Issues that should not be available to be available are not even raised during the meeting.
CSU cannot therefore be able to place specific military equipment on the export list. It irritates Christian socialists very much. – How do we know if Israel will use a tank in the Gaza Strip or will need it to defend the country – complains MP CSU. The party is even more irritated by the fact that he can't do anything against the chancellor's decision, because critical of Israel SPD certainly fully supports it. This time in the coalition, the CDU and SPD division against CSU formed.
Although you should actually say Merz and SPD against CSU, Because many CDU MPs are outraged by the change of the Chancellor's course.
– We are not very good at the moment – says CDU MP. CDU and CSU deputies are afraid of the breakup of the Union if its subsequent rules are abandoned.
Christian socialists want to “in the coming days” talk to the Chancellor to master the crisis in the Union. – We can do it. Because we have to – he says.
