Stuttgart, 20 February 2026 (dpa/MIA) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is up for re-election as chairman of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on Friday at the party's national conference in the south-western city of Stuttgart.

Former chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to attend the two-day congress as guest of honour, her first visit to a CDU federal party conference since the end of her term in office.

Merz will seek a strong show of support from party delegates as he stands for re-election for the first time since becoming chancellor in May 2025.

The CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), are in coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats.

The level of support for Merz will be closely watched. In 2024, he received just under 90% of the vote in his first re-election, after securing 94.6% in an online party conference during the coronavirus pandemic in January 2022.

Delegates will also vote on a motion from the executive committee, with which the CDU wants to advocate for a "new upswing in the housing market."

The build-up to the conference has been dominated by controversial comments by Merz criticizing the "part-time lifestyle" of German workers, drawing anger from left-wing parties.

The two-day event comes at the start of a busy electoral year for the CDU, with five state elections due to take place beginning with south-western Baden-Württemberg in early March.

Photo: MIA archive