Mon Feb 24 14:19:40 UTC 2025: ## CDU Leader Sounds Alarm as Far-Right AfD Gains Ground

**Berlin** – Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), issued a stark warning today, characterizing the Alternative for Germany (AfD)’s recent surge in popular support as a “last warning” for centrist parties. The AfD’s ability to garner over 20% in recent elections, he stressed, demands immediate and significant improvements in governance from mainstream parties.

While the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), secured first place in the latest elections with a combined 28.6% of the vote, Merz highlighted the AfD’s gains as a serious threat to the established political order. He implied that failure to address the concerns that have propelled the far-right party’s rise could have severe consequences for the future of centrist politics in Germany. The exact nature of these necessary improvements was not specified in Merz’s statement.

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