(October 1, 2026)
Wuest and officials who work with him have repeatedly denied he has any interest in replacing Merz under current circumstances.
He was one of eight conservative state premiers who publicly backed the chancellor in the run-up to the September 20 election in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the AfD again topped the election after winning in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks earlier.