Merz acknowledged the priority of foreign policy over internal disputes in Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said at a press conference in Finland on September 14 that foreign policy and security issues were a higher priority for him than the current domestic political discussions in Germany.

Answering a question about the possible limitation of Berlin's foreign policy capabilities due to the internal crisis, Merz stressed Germany's close connection with the fate of the European continent. According to him, external security issues cannot be separated from internal discussions.

"That is why I am trying to convince my colleagues, friends, members of my political party and parliamentary faction that this is important, much more important than some of the internal political discussions that we are currently conducting," the Chancellor stressed, broadcasting the press conference on the Finnish government's YouTube channel.

Merz noted that his visit to Finland is dedicated to discussing the defense of the Arctic. With this trip, he intends to demonstrate Germany's willingness to continue working at the European level, including cooperation with the Nordic countries.

During the press conference, journalists pointed out to the Chancellor the weakening of support for Ukraine in Europe and a decrease in the number of citizens approving of providing assistance to Kiev. Mertz was also reminded of the victory in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt of the "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) opposition party, which opposes the supply of weapons to the Ukrainian side.

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On September 13, British analyst Alexander Mercuris said that the unsuccessful policy of the Christian Democratic Union and Merz had led to a drop in ratings. According to the expert, the problems of the head of the German government are so serious that his authority is declining not only among German citizens, but also within the CDU party itself.

On September 8, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, pointed to Merz's continuation of a failed policy amid low ratings, commenting on the publication of the survey results, according to which the level of satisfaction with the work of the German government remains low.