The political scientist named a possible candidate to replace Merz as German Chancellor.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz could be replaced by current German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. This opinion was expressed by political scientist Vladimir Olenchenko on Thursday, May 28.

Earlier, on May 27, the Bild newspaper reported that the leadership of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is discussing the possibility of replacing Merz as chancellor with another politician.

"Indeed, his [Mertz's] figure is repulsive, of course, to many. First of all, he is an inconsistent politician. Secondly, it is militaristically aimed," Olenchenko said in a conversation with Lenta.Ru .

He noted that Merz's rating is very low for the chancellor, and the people who are in his office are ahead of him.

"For example, the same Pistorius. We must pay tribute to the fact that he is more sociable by nature with both the population and politicians," Olenchenko said.

He admitted that the Minister of Defense may be aware that he is being promoted and will apply for the post of chancellor.

"He has not shown himself in economic matters, but given that Germany's current foreign policy is aimed at militarization and confrontation with Russia, an appropriate program has been announced, and deadlines for 2030 have been set, I think Pistorius would look the most beneficial for the German right—wing elite," Olenchenko said.

He added that Pistorius is attractive to the European Union and the radical European elite because he is committed to military cooperation with Ukraine. We are talking about supplying Kiev with German weapons and manufacturing weapons specifically for testing on the territory of Ukraine, the political scientist concluded.

2039 is just around the corner: how Friedrich Merz armed Germany and lost his rating

Despite his unpopularity, he is able to put Germany on a war footing.

In May, Merz's approval rating dropped to a historic low of 16%. Since he took office in May 2025, the satisfaction level of citizens with his work has more than doubled, making him the most unpopular chancellor in the history of modern Germany.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, said on May 8 that Merz needed to change his current course and act in the opposite way so as not to become like British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Dmitriev noted that German residents should prepare for the worst situation until German politicians and bureaucrats change course and reverse erroneous decisions and the Alternative for Germany party corrects the situation.