Who is Friedrich Merz, Germany's chancellor-in-waiting
What's the story
Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is poised to become the country's next chancellor after his party won 28.5% of the vote in the national elections. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) followed with 20.7%. The win is a major comeback for Merz, once seen as a failed politician.
Career path
Merz's journey from law to politics
Born on November 11, 1955, in Brilon, Germany, Merz comes from a family of lawyers. He has had a long career in law and finance. He studied law at the University of Bonn and later at the University of Marburg. After serving in the military, he worked as a judge before entering politics full-time in 1989. He became a member of the European Parliament that year and joined the Bundestag in 1994.
Political comeback
Merz's political hiatus and return to CDU leadership
Merz shot to fame as CDU's parliamentary leader in 2000 but left politics in 2009 after being eclipsed by Angela Merkel's ascent. During his political break, he worked as a corporate lawyer and chaired Atlantik-Brucke, promoting transatlantic ties. In 2018, he tried a political comeback when Merkel stepped down as CDU leader but narrowly lost to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. His perseverance, however, paid off in 2022 when he finally became party leader after two previous rejections.
Policy direction
Merz's political stance
Merz has promised to guide the CDU rightward to combat the AfD's ascent, saying, "I want to do politics so that a party like the AfD is no longer needed in Germany." His policies involve abolishing unemployment benefits introduced by Scholz's coalition and tightening border controls. He also backs Ukraine against Russia and has offered to send high-end Taurus missiles under certain conditions, a move that was blocked by Scholz.