{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/695e7828a32e86d77573ead2/6abe999d90f8a952d48d4ad0?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"It is OVER for Merz after disastrous elections?","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/695e7828a32e86d77573ead2/1790875829290-52364ec0-c3ac-474a-9712-66d11bafaef6.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his party the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are facing an existential crisis following bruising regional election defeats.</p><p><br></p><p>The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania election saw the centre-right CDU fail to reach the five percent threshold, for the first time in a state election since 1949. The far-right AfD won with 38 percent of the vote.</p><p><br></p><p>Merz, who has been chancellor for just 16 months, has record-low approval ratings, but is vowing to stay on and push through unpopular reforms aimed at reviving Germany&#39;s sluggish economy.</p><p><br></p><p>As the political centre erodes and the far-right AfD makes major gains, can the CDU recover, and how long can Merz possibly last as German Chancellor?</p><p><br></p><p>Tabea Schaumann</p><p>Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre</p><p><br></p><p>Wolfgang Muno</p><p>Chair of Comparative Government at University of Rostock</p><p><br></p><p>Hajo Funke</p><p>Political Scientist</p><p><br></p><p>Edward Knudsen</p><p>Economic Security Analyst at RAND Europe</p><p><br></p><p>Follow the podcast to keep up to date and access the back catalogue of Roundtable discussions at https://www.youtube.com/@RoundtableTRTWorld</p>","author_name":"TRT World"}