Merz, speaking at a press conference with capital correspondents in Berlin, stated that his government had found its rhythm despite criticism and had initiated reforms in various areas, some of which had already been implemented.

When reminded that state parliamentary elections would be held in September in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt, located in eastern Germany, where the AfD ranked first in polls, Merz explained that they were facing a slightly different political situation there compared to many other regions of Germany, but that their election campaigns had just begun.

Merz expressed his hope that they would prevent the AfD from gaining a majority in parliament in these two states.

Emphasizing that he had a clear stance against the AfD, Merz underlined that this stance was directed at the party's leadership, not its voters.

In response to a journalist's question about whether Germany would learn from the past failure of a far-right party joining the government in the Netherlands, Merz said, "There is no lesson for Germany to learn from this, because the situation is different for Germany. If a far-right party comes to power in Germany, it would mean something completely different than if it happened in another country in the European Union (EU). This is also related to our history."

Merz pointed out that this was therefore not a measure, example, or learning opportunity for him, and stated, "I will do everything in my power to prevent this (the AfD coming to power) in Germany."

Addressing AfD voters, Merz said, "Look carefully. Don't just get your information from social media activities wherever you are, also look at what the German government is trying to implement."