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A comeback story/ How Friedrich Merz's political career seemed to end because of Merkel

2025-02-24 19:12:58Fokus SHKRUAR NGA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Friedrich Merz

Friedrich Merz is likely to become Germany's 10th chancellor since World War II. He joined the conservative Christian Democratic Union party in 1972 and was first elected to the German parliament in 1994. However, his rise to party leadership came too late for Mr. Merz, whose political career seemed to be over in the 2000s. The following chronicle provides details about Mr. Merz's biography and political career.

The winner of Germany's national election, Friedrich Merz, has said he will prioritize European unity and the continent's security as he confronts the new US administration of President Donald Trump.

“Once we reach a common European position, we will be seen as a strong partner in Washington,” Mr. Merz said during his speech at the World Economic Forum on January 22 in Davos, Switzerland.

Mr. Merz has long supported a strong transatlantic relationship.

"I have no illusions about what is happening in America," he told supporters. "We are under great pressure. My main priority now is to create unity in Europe."

He is also a supporter of Ukraine.

"The war in Ukraine is an epochal turning point. One of the central tasks of the next German government will be to ensure that Europe not only survives this, but perhaps also emerges a little stronger," Mr. Merz said on January 23 in Berlin.

His conservative bloc won enough seats in the German parliament on Sunday to form a coalition with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He has ruled out a coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), despite the party coming in second.

The 69-year-old conservative politician's victory is a comeback story after Mr Merz's political career seemed to have ended in the 2000s.

The reason for this was Angela Merkel, once his main collaborator in the Christian Democratic party.

"They wanted to reform the party after the long period under Helmut Kohl. Then there was a power struggle between the two. Angela Merkel won. She became chancellor in 2005 and then he left politics," says German journalist Volker Resing, author of the newly published biography "Friedrich Merz: His Road to Power."

Former Chancellor Merkel has described Mr Merz as a politician with excellent communication skills. However, she has acknowledged that their desire for power was a problem in their relationship.

"We are almost the same age... We grew up completely differently, which was more of an opportunity than an obstacle," she writes in her book "Freedom."

"However, there was a problem from the beginning: We both wanted to be in charge," Mrs Merkel further writes.

The two also have very different backgrounds. Angela Merkel was born and raised in East Germany. Mr. Merz represents a rural region in parliament that was part of West Germany.

A comeback story/ How Friedrich Merz's political career seemed to end

"He comes from the Sauerland region. They are people who live in the countryside, they are reasonable people and perhaps a little reserved. That is what shaped Mr. Merz: rural life," says journalist Resing.

Friedrich Merz joined the German conservative party in 1972 and was elected to the European Parliament in 1989. He first became a member of the German Parliament in 1994.

Ms Merkel consolidated her grip on Germany's centre-right after the Christian Democratic Union narrowly lost the 2002 election. She removed Mr Merz as leader of her parliamentary group, taking on that role herself, in addition to leading the party. She went on to lead Germany from 2005 to 2021.

During his time away from politics, Mr. Merz worked as a lawyer and businessman, traveling frequently to the United States and China.

Mr Merz only launched his return to politics after Ms Merkel resigned as leader of the CDU party in 2018.

However, he initially lost narrowly to more centrist candidates in 2018 and early 2021.

He was elected as party leader on the third attempt, following the center-right's defeat to outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the 2021 election.

He is considered much more conservative than Mrs. Merkel.

"He supports stricter policies on migration. He wants the borders to be closed first to end the current situation of overloading with foreigners in Germany. This leads to disagreements with centrist politicians," says German journalist Volker Resing.

According to Mr. Merz's biographer, Volker Resing, "Merz's way of doing politics" is not to avoid confrontation at all costs.

"Friedrich Merz also likes to provoke and believes that a certain amount of provocation can start a debate and perhaps a real development."

An interesting fact about the leading candidate for German chancellor is that he has a pilot's license. Mr. Merz sometimes flies his own small plane from his home in Sauerland in western Germany to Berlin early on Monday mornings.

A comeback story/ How Friedrich Merz's political career seemed to end

He has continued to fly, despite the long hours from his job as opposition leader and occasional criticism that he has a rich man's hobby.

"When you talk to him about flying, his eyes light up," said German journalist Resing. "He says that when you're above the clouds, that's freedom."

As a politician, Mr. Merz has always defended conservative values ??and emphasized the importance of family.

He met his wife, Charlotte, who is now a judge, while studying law. The couple have three grown children.

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