Fact check: CDU defends itself against fake website with Friedrich Merz

At first glance, she looks deceptively real: alleged content is spread from the coalition agreement on a fake website. The goal: Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the government coalition to discredit. At “Friedrich-Merz-cdu.de”, visitors come across the alliance between the CDU, CSU and SPD. But this page cannot be trusted.

At “Friedrich-Merz-cdu.de”, promises are made from the coalition agreement, for example, about new social housing, refugee services and Arab street signs.

These are false messages. The website and the supposed content from the coalition agreement are fictitious and do not come from the CDU.

Well copied and yet a fake: A deceptively real looking website with the face of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) promises content from the coalition agreement. Although many biographical content has been adopted on Friedrich Merz one to one and correspond to the truth, the side is a fake. CDU spokeswoman Isabelle Fischer clarifies this at the request of the German Press Agency. She explains: “We are in contact with the responsible authorities and will file a criminal complaint.”

The official website is stored on the overview page of the German Bundestag as MP Friedrich Merz: The address is “www.friedrich-merz.de”-it differs only minimally from the fake variant. Another official CDU page with Merz in the name (“merz.cdu.de”) forwards to the party homepage.

BMI sees connection to campaigns of pro -Russian activists

On request, the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) also confirms that Friedrich Merz’s official website was copied here and misleading content with migration policy initiatives at the fake address. The BMI sees “content overlaps” for previous disinformation campaigns in the election campaign for the Bundestag election 2025.

In this context, the authority primarily refers to pro -Russian actors in order to influence public opinion in Germany since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. It remains unclear who is responsible for the current fake website.

Fake page spreads incorrect information about the coalition agreement

On the fake website it is claimed that the new federal government wants to increase cash benefits for newly incoming war refugees from Ukraine from May 1, 2025 to 2,161 euros for single people. “300,000 social housing for foreign specialists and asylum seekers” are also planned. And all road, warning and signs would also be attached to Arabic in the future.

These projects cannot be found in a search in the coalition agreement. The information “2,161 euros” and “300,000 social housing” as well as the words “Arabic” and “signs” do not appear.

Official website of Friedrich Merz Further official CDU page on Merz German Bundestag on Friedrich Merz Link on the coalition agreement at the CDU (as PDF)