Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancels his visit to the UN as pressure mounts on him after the CDU’s defeat by the AfD

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has canceled his trip to the UN General Assembly, scheduled to take place next week in New York, because his presence is needed in Berlin, according to a government official quoted by AP. Merz was due to deliver a speech to world leaders on Wednesday.

The decision comes amid mounting pressure on the chancellor, 16 months after he took office. The CDU suffered a severe defeat to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the regional elections held on September 6 in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Authorities did not specify why Merz needs to remain in Germany. Meanwhile, his party is preparing for two more regional elections on Sunday, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. The AfD is expected to make significant gains in both regions.

The CDU risks losing the office of Berlin’s governing mayor and could even fail to win seats in the regional parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania if it does not clear the 5% electoral threshold. A local party representative called for his resignation, but no major ally has publicly backed replacing him. The CDU’s eight state premiers reaffirmed their support for Merz on Wednesday.