The German government Friday dismissed rumours that Chancellor Friedrich Merz's rivals were laying the groundwork to oust him as his popularity craters, reforms stall and the far right gains in strength.
Speculation reached fever pitch this week of manoeuvring within the centre-right CDU party to potentially replace Merz, Germany's most unpopular modern-day chancellor, after just a year in office.
Dubbing the saga the "chancellor swap" debate, German media have reported the name of Hendrik Wuest -- the state premier of North Rhein-Westphalia -- is circulating as a possible alternative.
Most commentators don't believe Merz will be dumped any time soon.
But the drama underscores how unstable once-staid German politics has become, coming less than two years since former chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition collapsed, precipitating early elections.
