Chancellor MERZ rejected reports that his approval rating, now at a historic
low, has sparked a move to replace him and said he will push ahead with his
reform agenda. The chancellery denied media claims that the CDU / GERMAN could
nominate a new leader, calling such speculation politically naive and
advantageous to the far right. Bild and other outlets cited senior CDU figures
in reporting replacement talk; officials say no replacement plan has coalesced,
though personnel change is now an openly discussed possibility.
