German Chancellor Merz booed during visit to fire-hit Eifel
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced boos, whistles and insults on Saturday during a visit to Hürtgenwald, near Belgium, where he thanked crews after North Rhine-Westphalia’s largest recorded forest fire.
In 30 seconds
- Merz visited Hürtgenwald on 22 August, two days after its forest fire was declared extinguished.
- WDR and Tagesschau confirmed boos, whistles, protest signs and tractor horns during the visit.
- Local officials said an earlier chancellor visit would have interfered with active firefighting.
- Wallonia said the High Fens fire was under control on 24 August, although local flare-ups continued.
Updated: 24 August 2026, morning CEST
German Chancellor faced boos, whistles and hostile shouts on Saturday afternoon, 22 August, during a visit to Gey in Hürtgenwald, a fire-hit municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia near Belgium. Tagesschau and regional broadcaster WDR reported that Merz completed the visit, thanked emergency crews and addressed the criticism surrounding his absence during the blaze.
Protesters displayed signs accusing the chancellor of arriving too late, while farmers sounded tractor horns during his statement, according to WDR. Belgian newspaper HLN reported that one person shouted a vulgar insult at Merz. Other news organisations confirmed the wider jeering but did not independently reproduce that specific wording. Merz told reporters that he would not be influenced by people shouting and said he had remained informed throughout the emergency.
The chancellor said he and Düren district administrator Ralf Nolten had agreed that a visit during the critical phase would have disrupted operations. Nolten publicly supported that account, WDR reported. Timo Pleiß of Hürtgenwald’s volunteer fire service likewise told the broadcaster that political visits were unhelpful during an active deployment but described the later appearance as recognition for responders.
The Hürtgenwald fire was extinguished on Thursday, two days before Merz arrived, according to Tagesschau. ZDF reported that the cause remained undetermined and that human error was being considered. Merz called the fire a consequence of climate change, warned that such emergencies would occur more often and promised a review of communications and preparedness with the federal cabinet.
The visit also carried political weight because it was Merz’s first public engagement since late July. Opposition politicians, particularly the Greens, had accused him of failing to show leadership during the heat and fires. Merz’s supporters and local emergency officials countered that keeping high-level delegations away during the operation allowed crews to concentrate on the fire.
Where this is happening
View on map High Fens →Belgium enters the story through the neighbouring emergency, not through the protest itself. Wallonia’s government said on Monday morning that the Belgian fire was under control but that local flare-ups continued overnight. Roads and nature areas remained closed, while 140 to 160 responders had worked across the site on Sunday. Authorities are monitoring smoke and have told the public to respect exclusion zones.
German officials will now assess the Hürtgenwald response and remaining equipment or communications gaps. In Belgium, the immediate questions are when the High Fens perimeter can reopen, whether underground fires return and what environmental damage will emerge once inspectors can enter safely.
What to do
If you live in or plan to visit eastern Wallonia, check official Walloon updates before travelling through the High Fens. As of 24 August, the N68, N672 and N676 and affected nature areas remained closed because of fire, smoke and site hazards, despite the fire being under control. Do not enter closed nature zones or assume that extinguished flames mean immediate safe access: local flare-ups were continuing. Travellers heading toward the Belgian-German Eifel should allow extra time, choose alternative routes and monitor restrictions on both sides of the border.
Impact
Regional — The German fire was extinguished, but Walloon authorities were still tackling local flare-ups in the nearby High Fens on 24 August. Closures continued on the N68, N672 and N676 and across affected nature areas.
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Voices & reactions
What the main actors are doing
Reported positions, summarised — not direct quotationsResidents and Green opposition politicians
Residents who protested and Green parliamentary leader Katharina Dröge argued that Merz remained publicly absent for too long while emergency crews confronted exceptional fires and Germany endured severe heat.
District and emergency-service officials
Düren district administrator Ralf Nolten and a Hürtgenwald volunteer-fire-service representative said a chancellor’s visit during the critical operational phase would have consumed resources or obstructed crews, while a later visit provided recognition.
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