Merz Rules Out Coalition w/Greens As CDU Scores Best Polling Since 2021

Earlier this week Friedrich Merz, leader of the main opposition centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was all-but-confirmed to be the chancellor candidate for the 'Union' in the upcoming 28 Sep 2025 federal election. In federal elections the CDU runs as part of the 'Union' with the Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU's Bavarian sister party.

• Prior to elections, the Union parties choose a chancellor candidate. In 2021, a bitter contest between the CDU's Armin Laschet and CSU's Markus Soeder highlighted divisions within the Union, hampering its election campaign and (among other factors) contributing to the party's poor performance.
• This time round, however, support has coalesced around Merz at an early point, allowing the CDU head to steal a march on the campaign. Earlier this week he ruled outworking with the environmentalist Greens at the federal level, saying “There is no party in the democratic spectrum of the broad political center that triggers such aversion with our voters and our members as the Greens,”.
• With the CDU's party bylaws prohibiting any cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), should Merz maintain his aversion to the Greens (despite CDU & Greens working in coalition in five states) it would leave only a 'grand coalition' with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) on the table as an option to secure a majority post-election.
• This all comes as the CDU secures 35.5% support in the latest Allensbach poll carried out 29 Aug-11 Sep. This is the highest response for the CDU since Feb 2021.