Merz Cancels UN General Assembly Trip to Confront CDU Rebellion at Home

Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled his planned trip to address the UN General Assembly's General Debate in New York — where the UN had scheduled his speech for the Wednesday after the September 20 Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state elections — with his office saying 'contrary to original plans, the chancellor will not travel to New York next week, as his presence in Berlin is required.' The cancellation came amid what Der Spiegel described as a CDU 'palace revolt,' with senior CDU leaders set to meet the Monday after the vote and CDU/CSU Bundestag lawmakers meeting as a group two days later — sessions widely read as tests of Merz's leadership. Der Spiegel and other outlets reported open talk within the party of a 'Kanzlertausch' (chancellor swap), floating NRW premier Hendrik Wüst as a possible successor, though the CDU's eight state governors issued a joint statement backing Merz. An INSA poll for Bild published around September 13 found only 14% of Germans considered Merz fit for the chancellorship against 78% who did not — including a majority of the CDU's own voters.