Story perspectives

Merz cancels New York trip, Wadephul delivers UN speech

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 4:19 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Strategic Cancellation for Elections

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled his New York trip on September 22 to attend the UN General Assembly and receive the Henry Kissinger Prize.
The cancellation kept him in Berlin because the CDU expects poor results in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin state elections.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will deliver Germany’s UN General Assembly speech in Merz’s place.
CDU, FDP and AfD back limited Tempelhof field housing; SPD, Greens and Left oppose.

Left

Premiers Rally Behind Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled his trip to New York on 22 September to attend the UN General Assembly and receive the Henry Kissinger Prize.
The cancellation came as the AfD’s recent regional victories raised alarm over far-right influence and Merz’s political stability.
Eight CDU premiers issued a joint statement backing Merz, urging stability amid rising nativist parties.
Green Party co-leader Felix Banaszak warned a chancellor swap could trigger elections favoring the AfD.

Blindspot

The AfD won the Saxony-Anhalt state election, routing the CDU and positioning Ulrich Siegmund as the first far-right regional leader since the Nazi era, according to the left-leaning reports.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In the July 31 1932 federal election, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party secured 230 Reichstag seats, becoming the largest faction while Nazis and Communists together held over half the seats, preventing a moderate majority. The ensuing deadlock contributed to the Weimar Republic’s collapse, a precedent modern leaders invoke as Friedrich Merz worries AfD gains echo that 1932 surge.

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Strategic Cancellation for Elections

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled his New York trip on September 22 to attend the UN General Assembly and receive the Henry Kissinger Prize.
The cancellation kept him in Berlin because the CDU expects poor results in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin state elections.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will deliver Germany’s UN General Assembly speech in Merz’s place.
CDU, FDP and AfD back limited Tempelhof field housing; SPD, Greens and Left oppose.

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