NRW Premier Wüst backs Merz, dodges campaign role question

Hendrik Wüst, North Rhine-Westphalia's premier, again rejects a personnel debate within the CDU and publicly stands by party leader Friedrich Merz after recent election defeats. When asked whether he would bring Merz to the NRW election campaign, Wüst was evasive, signaling internal party tension over Merz's leadership. The evasiveness suggests uncertainty about Merz's electoral appeal in a key state ahead of the 2026 federal election cycle.