Friedrich Merz cancels New York appearance at UN General Assembly
Chancellor delays New York visit as regional elections in Germany and party meetings require his presence.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has canceled his planned trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, saying his presence in Berlin is required, according to unnamed government officials. His speech in the General Debate was scheduled by the United Nations for 23 September.
Regional elections and party meetings reshuffle the schedule
The cancellation comes with crucial regional votes looming: the elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin take place three days before the UN debate and are widely viewed as decisive for Merz’s political standing.
Merz faces heightened pressure after the poor outcome for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the 6 September vote in Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured an almost absolute majority. Party leaders have scheduled internal meetings: a CDU leadership meeting on 21 September and a CDU/CSU parliamentary group meeting in the Bundestag on 22 September.
Opinion polls ahead of the two regional ballots indicate the CDU at historically low support in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In Berlin, the governing coalition of the CDU and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is nearly level with The Left, while AfD sits in a close third in the capital.
The decision highlights how domestic political turbulence can override planned international appearances for senior leaders. Merz had been expected to use the UN platform on 23 September to outline Germany’s positions on global issues, but party strategists say immediate attention at home is now the priority.
Photo: press material from the event
