He is a staunch Europeanist and supporter of Ukraine, but he has one absolute priority: achieving independence from the United States. “For me, the main priority will be to ensure independence from the US,” he declares. As for defense and Ukraine, he adds: “It seems clear to me that the Americans are indifferent to the future of Ukraine.”
La Repubblica
Who knows whether Friedrich Merz will ever be called the “black giant” like his predecessor Helmut Kohl. Of course, he is tall: almost two meters, just like the great chancellor of reunification. But Kohl earned that epithet during Germany’s moment of glory, as Stefan Zweig would say, in the “magic moment” of the fall of the Wall, when he led the idea of a united Germany with tactical mastery and iron determination. Merz also faces historical challenges, perhaps not the same as Kohl’s, but important ones nonetheless. There is a war in Ukraine, on the threshold of Europe, while the West is being torn apart under the blows of Donald Trump’s axe. The candidate for chancellor has long expressed a desire to restore tense relations with France and Poland, trying to forget the “German position,” as the Scholz government’s constant vacillation in international politics has been called in recent years.
Merz’s biographers often emphasize that he was influenced by his experience as an MEP in Strasbourg. He is a staunch Europeanist and a supporter of Ukraine, but he has one absolute priority: achieving independence from the United States. “For me, the main priority will be to secure independence from the United States,” he declares. As for defense and Ukraine, he adds: “It seems clear to me that the Americans are indifferent to the future of Ukraine.”
As chancellor, Merz will realize the dream of his life, after an uncertain political career, filled with ups and downs, as well as long periods of absence. For his supporters, he is the man who will return the CDU-CSU to its conservative roots, freeing it from the legacy of the “social democratization” of the Merkel era. He has promised to “halve the AfD,” but has so far failed: since Merkel left, the far right has risen from 11% to 21%. For conservatives, this does not matter much, although the CDU continues to stand at 30%, far from its potential of 35-40%, as some political analysts suggest.
Despite this, the Christian Democrats have remained united around their leader, considering him the embodiment of the party’s old values. At this historical stage, they believe this is an advantage, especially in East Germany, where the AfD is gaining ground and where Merkel remains an unwanted figure. Friedrich Merz was born in 1955 to a Catholic family in Brilon, North Rhine-Westphalia. As a teenager, he had a slightly unkempt appearance (there is even debate whether he had long hair in high school or not, which he himself claimed “reached his shoulders”). A law graduate, he began his political career as a member of the Bundestag for West Germany in Bonn, where he quickly gained a reputation as an excellent orator.
In fact, when he’s not overcome by emotion – which is often the case – Merz is capable of great speeches. He has been married to Charlotte for years and has three children. A few years ago, he published a photo of himself playing the clarinet, his wife at the piano, and his children (presumably) singing – a classic German family scene.
Merz and his family still live in Brilon, where he was born. A populist by instinct rather than imitation, he is a disciple of Wolfgang Schäuble and has a well-known passion for taxes. In 2003, he became famous for a demonstration in which he drew a simulation of the tax system on a beer label, to show that tax returns could be simplified to the maximum.
However, his populism has sometimes led him astray. In the past, he has caused outrage for his statements about immigrants, calling them “social tourists,” complaining that “their children eat like little princes,” and accusing them of taking over German hospital beds. In 2000, he argued that immigrants should adapt to a German Leitkultur, a “dominant culture,” sparking controversy, even within his own party. Merz is also an avid airplane enthusiast and amateur pilot. He made headlines when he flew his private jet to attend the wedding of Finance Minister Christian Lindner on the island of Sylt. Germans, known for their sensitivity to social inequality, do not easily forgive the fact that he claimed that “being a millionaire does not mean being rich, but being part of the upper middle class.”
Another source of skepticism towards him is the fact that, after leaving politics in the 2000s following another “trap” set up by Merkel, he entered the private sector and went to work for BlackRock, the American financial asset management giant.
After sixteen years under Merkel, the future chancellor seems so “retro” that he is having a hard time winning the support of the female electorate. His past mistakes still weigh heavily: in 1997, he voted against a law that would have criminalized rape within marriage. Recently, he admitted that “I would vote differently today.” Better late than never.
