With his approval ratings hitting a historic low and the far-right AfD advancing threateningly ahead of critical regional elections, Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces the ultimate taboo of German politics: an internal revolt and a replacement scenario that seemed unthinkable until recently. False Calm Before the StormGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz doesn’t appear to believe his position will be at risk when he returns from his summer vacation. The AfD, now the most popular party in national polls, will look to further exploit the coalition’s turmoil. Polls put the AfD in first place in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Berlin, fueling concern that local CDU officials might back a far-right government, breaking Merz’s red line. Historic Low Approval RatingsNationally, POLITICO’s Poll of Polls ranks the AfD as the most popular party at 28%, with Merz’s conservatives at 21%.