Friedrich Merz, a political newcomer, is set to lead Germany amid significant economic and diplomatic crises, following his party’s victory in the national election. Having never held government office, Merz previously faced political setbacks before becoming the conservative party leader. He aims to shift the party rightward to counter the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) but faces challenges gaining trust, particularly in eastern Germany. Merz supports increased military aid to Ukraine and proposes reforms on fiscal policies. As coalition talks loom, his ability to govern effectively remains uncertain amidst a fragmented parliament.
Berlin:
Friedrich Merz, an individual who has never occupied a government position, is gearing up to assume leadership in Germany as the nation confronts its most significant economic and diplomatic challenges in decades, while Europe urgently seeks a fresh wave of leaders amid rising transatlantic tensions.
According to projected results, Merz’s conservative party secured the top spot in Germany’s national election on Sunday, significantly ahead of their nearest competitor, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), granting him the authority to establish a coalition government.
“Germany will once again be governed reliably,” he declared to his supporters on Sunday evening.
This outcome marks an unexpected triumph for the 69-year-old, who just seven years prior appeared to be a political has-been, coming to terms with a career shift toward a lucrative role as a lobbyist and a board member for various corporations.
A protégé of the late Wolfgang Schaeuble, a finance minister and a symbol of German fiscal conservatism, Merz experienced a remarkable ascent within his Christian Democrats, rising to become the party’s parliamentary leader in the 2000s.
With his tall stature and resonant voice, the staunchly conservative Merz was an ideal representative for the party in 1989—when he first won a seat in the European Parliament.
Originating from Sauerland, a Catholic highland area in the far west of Germany known for its social conservatism and tight-knit communities, he epitomized many of the values of West Germany preceding the Berlin Wall’s fall—transatlanticism, a business-friendly approach, and social conservatism.
However, the reunification in 1990 enabled Angela Merkel, the East German daughter of a Protestant pastor, to enter politics and push both Schaeuble and Merz aside as she rose to the position of chancellor.
The East remains Merz’s Achilles’ heel. A poll conducted by Forsa on Friday revealed that, unlike his Social Democrat and Green rivals, this distinctly Rhineland figure is still far less trusted in the East compared to the West.
It is also the East that has presented Merz with the greatest challenge to his authority, represented by the far-right AfD, which dominated one eastern regional election last year and could significantly limit his governing capabilities post-election.
Merz has never been the preferred choice of his party’s advisers and faced rejection as Merkel’s successor as party leader twice, in 2018 and 2021, before his persistence paid off in 2022.
Upon taking office, he pledged to diminish the influence of the nativist AfD by distancing from Merkel’s centrist approach and steering the party to the right. When he assumed office, the AfD was polling at 10%, yet it garnered nearly 20% in Sunday’s election, based on initial projections.
“I want to engage in politics so that a party like the AfD is no longer necessary in Germany,” he mentioned to a gathering of his conservatives in January, placing blame on the Social Democrat Scholz and his Green partners for the conditions that allowed the AfD to thrive.
In January, in response to two high-profile murders involving immigrants as chief suspects, he maneuvered to pass a resolution in parliament calling for stricter immigration measures, fully aware that it would require AfD support to succeed.
This move was viewed by critics, even from within his party, as an unacceptable violation of a political quarantine established to keep the AfD out of power.
Some consider this a case where Merz’s strategic vision did not align with the acute tactical skills that enabled him to effectively pressure Scholz, initially through a 2022 visit to Kyiv that highlighted the chancellor’s hesitation in supporting Ukraine, and later by successfully challenging a budget in court, sparking a series of events that led to the collapse of Scholz’s government.
The contentious migration vote left a lingering distrust and heightened concerns about his ability to convince other parties to partner with him in governance, a vital necessity in Germany’s proportional electoral system.
“I’m not suggesting that Merz is planning a coalition with the AfD, but I must admit my personal confidence that he won’t pursue that path after the election, if that’s the only way for him to become Chancellor—has diminished,” stated Ulf Buermeyer, host of the influential podcast State of the Nation.
THE PRICE OF POLITICS
Some internal critics begrudgingly recognize that his Atlanticism, proficiency in English, and negotiating abilities honed during his time in the corporate sector make him a fitting candidate for the era of Trump.
A staunch and early supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, he has indicated that under specific circumstances, he would be willing to supply Kyiv with the sophisticated Taurus missiles that Scholz has consistently opposed.
His stance on fiscal policy remains somewhat ambiguous; however, he has hinted at a willingness to reconsider the constitutionally-mandated debt limits that hindered Scholz’s government and have obstructed attempts to increase military spending.
Despite this, he largely represents an old-fashioned political figure from before his departure from politics for a lucrative second career at BlackRock, which allowed him to amass enough wealth to become a hobby pilot and own an aeroplane.
Some of his policy proposals appear reactive: he has vowed to eliminate an unemployment benefit and more lenient citizenship regulations established by Scholz’s coalition, alongside implementing stricter border measures.
He once remarked in an interview that he would exit politics if it ever put his 40-year marriage to Charlotte, a judge, under strain. “For me that price would be too high,” he stated.
If he takes office, he will be the first chancellor with children, and the first not previously divorced, since Helmut Kohl left in 1998.
He has diligently worked to forge connections with European leaders who would be his counterparts, with some expressing optimism about the prospect of moving away from Scholz’s divided and indecisive administration.
“Almost undiplomatic,” is how one European diplomat described the eagerness with which Paris awaits Merz’s arrival.
At last weekend’s Munich Security Conference, he networked with various European leaders and met with U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
However, world leaders may need to remain patient: given polls indicating a genuine possibility of a parliament comprising as many as seven parties, Germany may face an extended period of contentious coalition negotiations before Merz steps into the chancellery in Berlin.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)