German chancellor cancels New York trip amid political pressure, source says


German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends the 2027 budget debate at the German lower house of parliament, Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen

BERLIN, Sept ⁠15 (Reuters) - German Chancellor ⁠Friedrich Merz will not ‌travel to New York as planned next week ​because his presence ⁠is required ⁠in Berlin, a government source ⁠said ‌on Tuesday.

The conservative chancellor ⁠has come under pressure following ​a ‌historic result for the ⁠far-right ​Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the state of ⁠Saxony-Anhalt on September ​6, with two more state elections serving as ⁠his next test on Sunday.

Merz had been scheduled to attend the ​UN General ⁠Assembly in New York.

(Reporting ​by Andreas ‌Rinke, Writing by ​Rachel More; editing by Barbara Lewis)

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