Merkel's Successor Merz Faces Ouster Threat After 16 Months Amid State Election Losses

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz may be removed as early as this weekend, 16 months into his tenure, as senior CDU members privately discuss a 'Kanzlertausch' ahead of state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin where the party risks heavy losses. The report, sourced from Politico via Interfax, indicates internal party pressure but no formal mechanism has been triggered. If realized, this would mark a rapid reversal of Merz's reform mandate and destabilize German leadership in Europe.