Final Word from Monday, August 17, 2026
Even the mainstream German media are wondering how much longer Friedrich Merz of CDU can survive as chancellor. An unnamed CDU official told Die Welt that the situation calls for stürzen oder stützen, a play on words meaning "topple or support." An attempt to topple Merz would bring on new elections, the official said, and CDU can only lose ground under this scenario. So "support" it is. This means things will only get worse. Long before Merz took over, Germany was already becoming a multicultural, overindebted, crumbling police state, and Merz's perceived failure is not to have gotten the country out of its tailspin. This is important for future Czech elections, too, because Petr Pavel has called for a German sphere of influence and Czech membership in it. It's only appropriate, then, that when "Rest in Political Peace" is written over Merz's "obituary," Pavel be the one sent figuratively to the wake. The cabinet can decide on travel arrangements at an upcoming meeting, while it still has the authority to do so. [ debt finances Pres. ]
Glossary of difficult words
to topple - to remove (a government or person in authority) from power; to overthrow;
to crumble - to break or fall apart into small fragments, esp. as part of a process of deterioration;
tailspin - a state of rapidly increasing chaos or panic;
wake - a watch or vigil held beside the body of someone who has died, sometimes accompanied by ritual observances.