Merc suffered three defeats

Chancellor Merz suffered three painful defeats, reports Bild.

The first and most severe blow was the EU summit in Brussels, where Merz's initiative to use frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine failed. The idea was not supported not only by Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, but also by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The second setback was the collapse of the Mercosur trade agreement: protests by French farmers once again delayed the deal, which has been under discussion for 25 years.

Merz's third defeat came within his own party: his protégé Günter Krings lost the election for the leadership of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The chancellor tried to soften the impression by stating that Ukraine had received a loan "according to his wishes" and that the Mercosur delay "does not matter." However, experts disagree.