Pressure mounts on Germany’s Merz after fractious reshuffle

Pressure is intensifying on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after a cabinet reshuffle that sparked anger in his own ranks and put a spotlight on his government's competence as it battles to fend off a far-right surge at state elections in September.

After a testing first year in office, Merz's CDU/CSU bloc is trailing in the polls behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and faces the prospect of the AfD gaining power for the first time at state level in September.

His situation contrasts with that of his conservative predecessor ​and one-time political rival, Angela Merkel, who outshone her party in opinion polls during her 16 years as chancellor.