German Political Commentary Criticizes Chancellor Friedrich Merz After CDU Election Defeat in Schwerin

A political opinion piece published by the German weekly newspaper der Freitag sharply criticizes Chancellor Friedrich Merz following what it describes as a historic electoral crash for the CDU in Schwerin. The commentary, written by Velten Schäfer, argues that despite expectations of a chancellorship collapse, Merz's tenure may endure longer than anticipated because elite interests view him as the man of the hour — precisely because of his clumsy political maneuvering. The author invokes Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels's Communist Manifesto, quoting its assertion that modern state power functions merely as a committee managing the common affairs of the entire bourgeoisie class. According to the piece, Merz appeared to honor this description when, on early Sunday evening, he responded to his party's historic election defeats with nothing more than an impatient, pre-recorded continuation of the status quo. The commentary characterizes Merz as an ideal casting choice for a politics of beating down opposition, suggesting that however divergent the interests of capitalist factions may be in detail, one outcome remains certain: Merz's major assault on virtually all fronts. The article frames the CDU's losses as historically significant and situates Merz's position within a broader dynamic of elite support despite electoral failure. The text was published on the website of der Freitag, a German weekly newspaper known for left-leaning political commentary.