Germany news: Merz looks to shore up support within CDU

DW News · Feb 20, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Published February 20, 2026last updated February 20, 2026On the international front, the Chancellor has made a splash, but on the home front, the scorecard has been more mixed. The level of support in the CDU will be an indicator of what he needs to do. https://p.dw.com/p/596ofMerz will seek a strong show of support from party delegatesImage: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture allianceSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a congress of his conservative CDU party Former Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to attend the two-day congress in Stuttgart About 1.9 million highly educated people in Germany faced poverty risk in 2025 This is an update of the main headlines from Germany on Friday, February 20: Skip next section Defense Ministry reportedly downplays Thiel influence in Stark Defense drone bidFebruary 20, 2026Defense Ministry reportedly downplays Thiel influence in Stark Defense drone bidGerman news organization Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) reports that the Defense Ministry sees no reason to block German defense company Stark Defence from supplying kamikaze drones, despite US President Donald Trump ally Peter Thiel's involvement. The ministry told lawmakers in a letter that, according to company information, "Peter Thiel, through his investment firm Thiel Capital, is one of many minority shareholders," holding "below 10%." He is "not a member of the supervisory board," and there are "no control or other special rights" that would give him insight into or influence over operations. The Bundestag’s budget committee will review contracts for Stark Defence and Munich-based Helsing next week. The deals have an initial combined value of €536 million ($630 million), with options that could raise the total into the billions. Green Party security spokeswoman Sara Nanni said Thursday that Thiel's influence poses risks that must be examined. Left-wing MP Dietmar Bartsch has called for the deal to be halted, citing Thiel’s opposition to liberal democracies. Earlier this week, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the government must first clarify Thiel’s actual level of influence before approving any contract. https://p.dw.com/p/5973FSkip next section Nearly 2 million highly educated Germans at risk of povertyFebruary 20, 2026Nearly 2 million highly educated Germans at risk of povertyAround 1.9 million people with university-level qualifications were at risk of poverty in 2025, an increase of 350,000 compared with 2022. The figures from Germany's official statistics office says were released in response to a request from the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). The rise comes as the number of graduates grew to 21 million nationwide. Yet data from the Federal Employment Agency show unemployment among academics climbed to 3.3%, up from 2.2% three years earlier. "Decline and poverty now affect all levels of education," Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance said, calling on policymakers to revive the economy and enable social mobility through hard work. Despite the trend, the poverty risk remains much higher for people with lower or medium levels of education. Of 14.3 million people with low qualifications, about 4.1 million were considered at risk in 2025. Under Germany's definition, anyone earning less than 60% of the median income is classed as at risk of poverty €1,446 per month for a single adult last year. https://p.dw.com/p/596rUSkip next section Merz up for re-election as chairman of the CDUFebruary 20, 2026Merz up for re-election as chairman of the CDUGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a key leadership test today as he seeks re‑election as chairman of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at the party's national conference in Stuttgart. Merz is aiming for a strong mandate from delegates, in his first leadership vote since becoming chancellor in May 2025. His previous results ranged from 94.6% in 2022 to just under 90% in 2024. Delegates will also vote on a proposal calling for a "new upswing in the housing market." Former chancellor Angela Merkel is attending as guest of honor, her first appearance at a CDU federal conference since leaving office. The two‑day congress launches a busy election year for the CDU, with five state elections, starting in Baden‑Württemberg in early March. https://p.dw.com/p/596rsSkip next section Welcome to our coverage February 20, 2026Welcome to our coverage Guten tag from Bonn. About 350 kilometers from here, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing a major test. He heads into his party's congress seeking the backing from his own CDU party members to become the chairperson again. The attention will be on how much support he gets. In 2024, Merz secured just under 90% in his first re‑election as party leader, down from the 94.6 % he received in a pandemic-era online vote in early 2022. We will focus much of our coverage on that. Plus, we're going to have insights from DW's correspondents at the party gathering in Stuttgart. https://p.dw.com/p/596vOShow more posts