Europe’s centrists are finally paying the price of their extremism

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in office for less than a year and a half, is experiencing record low approval ratings as his party, the CDU, faces a decline following disastrous state elections. German media blame Merz for weak campaigning and an unpopular coalition with the social democrats. However, the real issue is the loss of trust in centrist politicians, whose austerity policies have led to deindustrialization and stagnation, making their image as moderate technocrats outdated.