1 day ago · For weeks, Friedrich Merz appeared to be cruising towards his life-long dream of becoming Germany’s chancellor by focusing on a pro-business pitch to revive Europe’s largest economy.

In September 2024, he became the Union's designated candidate for Chancellor of Germany ahead of the 2025 federal election. Merz was born in Brilon, and is of French Huguenot descent on his mother's side. He joined the Young Union in 1972.

5 days ago · Friedrich Merz and his Christian Democrats broke a political taboo by working with the hard-right Alternative for Germany to toughen rules on immigration. It did not pay off.

2 days ago · BERLIN (AP) — The front-runner in Germany’s upcoming election said Monday that the far-right Alternative for Germany is his “most important opponent” and his party will “never” work with it, following a week in which he was accused of breaking a taboo on dealing with the far right.. Center-right opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s Union …

Jan 13, 2025 · Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, can be good news for the European Union, France’s newly appointed Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin told POLITICO, after years of friction between Paris and Berlin and looming fractures across the bloc over how to deal with the United States and China.

Jan 21, 2025 · DAVOS, Switzerland — Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, wants his country and France to overcome their disputes on EU trade policy. “I am very close to Emmanuel Macron, and we are meeting regularly on these issues,” Merz told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.

Dec 18, 2024 · Who Is Friedrich Merz, a Leading Candidate to Be Germany’s Next Chancellor? If polls are correct, Olaf Scholz’s successor could be the 69-year-old leader of the Christian Democratic Union.

Dec 16, 2024 · Tucking into beer and pretzels, the frontrunner to become Germany's next chancellor, conservative millionaire Friedrich Merz, is showing off his folksy side.

Nov 15, 2024 · When Friedrich Merz suddenly re-entered politics after a near 10-year absence, some described it as the Second Coming. Others said it was the return of the undead. However you describe it,...

Dec 11, 2024 · Ten weeks away from elections and with a double-digit lead over his closest rival's party, conservative leader Friedrich Merz is getting used to being feted as Germany's next Chancellor.