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

By Thomson Reuters Sep 15, 2026 | 12:07 PM

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)