Merkel Called On The CDU To Draw On Adenauer's Principles Following Its Election Defeat

• 22.09.2026, 8:08

The former German chancellor advised Merz's party to "build bridges."

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to resume dialogue following its defeat in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania election. Her remarks were reported by the DPA news agency.

“On a day like today, and after last night, it is worth reflecting once again on what Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, can teach us. It was obvious to him that we need to build bridges,” she noted, according to the DPA news agency.

Merkel emphasized that after World War II, it was important to establish connections between employers and employees, men and women, the environment and the economy, cities and rural areas, as well as between different religious groups and generations. Today, in her view, we must also prioritize building connections between people with and without a migrant background.