Who is Friedrich Merz? Germany’s next Chancellor in the making

Friedrich Merz leads CDU-CSU to victory in 2025 German elections

Germany’s conservative leader Friedrich Merz is poised to lead the nation after his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), secured the largest vote share in the 2025 general elections. The CDU-CSU bloc won 28.5% of the votes, defeating Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), as reported by German broadcaster ARD.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as the second-largest party, garnering 20.7% of the vote. Addressing supporters on Sunday evening, Merz declared, “Germany will once more be governed reliably,” according to Reuters.

Who is Friedrich Merz?

Born on November 11, 1955, in Brilon, Germany, Friedrich Merz hails from a family of legal professionals. He began studying law in 1976 and joined the CDU in 1972. In 1981, he married Charlotte Merz, a fellow lawyer who is now a judge, and the couple has three children.

Merz’s political journey began in 1989 when he was elected to the European Parliament. In 1994, he entered the Bundestag after winning a landslide victory in the Hochsauerlandkreis constituency. Rising through the ranks, Merz became the CDU’s parliamentary leader in 2000. However, he ceded the position to Angela Merkel in 2002 after she became the party’s leader.

Political setbacks and comeback

After the CDU-CSU formed a coalition government with the SPD in 2005, Merz found himself sidelined and chose to leave active politics in 2009. He then pursued a successful career in law and finance.

In 2018, Merz returned to politics after Merkel announced her retirement. He ran to succeed her as CDU leader but lost narrowly to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. In 2020, after Kramp-Karrenbauer stepped down, Merz made another bid but was overlooked by Armin Laschet.

Merz’s persistence paid off in 2021 when he re-entered the Bundestag, although the CDU-CSU was defeated in that election. In 2022, he finally succeeded in becoming the national chairman of the CDU, positioning himself as the party’s leading figure.

Merz’s vision for Germany

Friedrich Merz is known for his firm stance on undocumented immigration and his commitment to revitalizing Germany’s economy. As he prepares to take office, his main challenge will be forming a coalition government to secure a stable majority in the Bundestag.

Merz has pledged to restore confidence in Germany’s governance, emphasizing the need for economic growth, stricter immigration controls, and enhanced national security.

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