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Friedrich Merz

Friedrich Merz
MdB
Head shot of Merz
Merz in 2025
Chancellor of Germany
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2025
PresidentFrank-Walter Steinmeier
Vice ChancellorLars Klingbeil
Preceded byOlaf Scholz
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union
Incumbent
Assumed office
31 January 2022
DeputyAndreas Jung
Karin Prien
Silvia Breher
Michael Kretschmer
Karl-Josef Laumann
Preceded byArmin Laschet
Leader of the Opposition
In office
15 February 2022 – 6 May 2025
ChancellorOlaf Scholz
Preceded byRalph Brinkhaus
Succeeded byTino Chrupalla
Alice Weidel
In office
29 February 2000 – 22 September 2002
ChancellorGerhard Schröder
Preceded byWolfgang Schäuble
Succeeded byAngela Merkel
Leader of the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag
In office
15 February 2022 – 5 May 2025
First DeputyAlexander Dobrindt
Chief WhipThorsten Frei
Preceded byRalph Brinkhaus
Succeeded byJens Spahn
In office
29 February 2000 – 22 September 2002
First DeputyMichael Glos
Chief WhipHans-Peter Repnik
Preceded byWolfgang Schäuble
Succeeded byAngela Merkel
Member of the Bundestag
for Hochsauerlandkreis
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 October 2021
Preceded byPatrick Sensburg
In office
10 November 1994 – 27 October 2009
Preceded byFerdinand Tillmann
Succeeded byPatrick Sensburg
Member of the European Parliament
for North Rhine-Westphalia
In office
22 July 1989 – 19 July 1994
Personal details
Born
Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz

(1955-11-11) 11 November 1955 (age 69)
Brilon, West Germany
Political partyChristian Democratic Union (since 1972)
Spouse
Charlotte Gass
​
(m. 1981)​
Children3
ResidenceArnsberg
Education
Signature
Websitewww.friedrich-merz.de Edit this at Wikidata
Military service
Allegiance West Germany
Branch/service Bundeswehr
Years of service1975–1976
UnitPanzer Artillery Training Battalion 310

Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz (/mɛərts/; German: [joˈaxɪm ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈmɛʁts];[1] born 11 November 1955) is a German politician serving as Chancellor of Germany since May 6, 2025. He has also served as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since January 2022, leading the CDU/CSU (Union) parliamentary group as Leader of the Opposition in the Bundestag from February 2022 to May 2025.

Merz was born in Brilon in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in West Germany. He joined the Young Union in 1972. After finishing law school in 1985, Merz worked as a judge and corporate lawyer before entering full-time politics in 1989 when he was elected to the European Parliament. After serving one term he was elected to the Bundestag, where he established himself as the leading financial policy expert in the CDU. He was elected chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in 2000, the same year as Angela Merkel was elected chairwoman of the CDU, and at the time they were chief rivals for the leadership of the party, which led the opposition together with CSU.[2][3]

After the 2002 federal election, Merkel claimed the parliamentary group chairmanship for herself, while Merz was elected deputy parliamentary group leader. In December 2004, he resigned from this office, thereby giving up the years-long power struggle with Merkel[4][3] and gradually withdrew from politics, focusing on his legal career and leaving parliament entirely in 2009, until his return to parliament in 2021. In 2004, he became a senior counsel with Mayer Brown, where he has focused on mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, and compliance. He has served on the boards of numerous companies, including BlackRock Germany. A corporate lawyer and reputed multimillionaire, Merz is also a licensed private pilot and owns two aeroplanes.[5][6] In 2018, he announced his return to politics. He was elected CDU leader in December 2021, assuming the office in January 2022. He had failed to win the position in two previous leadership elections in 2018,[7][8] and January 2021.[9][10] In September 2024, he became the Union's candidate for Chancellor of Germany ahead of the 2025 German federal election. The CDU/CSU subsequently reached an agreement to form a coalition with the SPD.[11][12][13] Merz was elected chancellor on 6 May 2025 in a second round of voting, after unexpectedly failing to garner the required absolute majority of parliamentary votes in the first round of voting – a first in German history.[14]

As a young politician in the 1970s and 1980s, Merz was a staunch supporter of anti-communism, the dominant political doctrine of West Germany and a core tenet of the CDU. He is seen as a representative of the traditional establishment conservative and pro-business wings of the CDU.[15] His book Mehr Kapitalismus wagen (Venturing More Capitalism) advocates economic liberalism. Prior to the second presidency of Donald Trump, he was frequently described as being "exceptionally pro-American",[16] and was once the chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke association which promotes German-American friendship and Atlanticism. He is a staunch supporter of the European Union, NATO, and the liberal international order, having described himself as "a truly convinced European, a convinced Transatlanticist, and a German open to the world".[17] Merz advocates a closer union and "an army for Europe".[18] He is at times critical of the Trump administration, having likened the United States under Donald Trump to Russia under Vladimir Putin, criticized American and Russian election interference, and said Europe must urgently strengthen its defences and potentially find a replacement for NATO to achieve "independence" from the United States.[19]

  1. ^ Kleiner, Stefan; Knöbl, Ralf; Mangold, Max (2023). Duden – das Aussprachewörterbuch (8th ed.). Berlin: Dudenverlag. ISBN 978-3-411-04068-1.
  2. ^ Huggler, Justin (31 October 2018). "Merkel rival Friedrich Merz emerges as surprise early frontrunner to succeed chancellor". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b Neukirch, Ralf; Schult, Christoph (29 June 2003). "Der Männerbund" [The Men's Association]. Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  4. ^ Weiland, Severin (8 February 2007). "Enthüllung: Wie Merkels und Merz' Feindschaft begann" [Revelations: How Merkel and Merz's enmity began]. Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  5. ^ Sorge, Nils-Viktor (20 May 2014). "Ex-CDU-Star Friedrich Merz: Ganz unten" [Ex CDU star Friedrich Merz and the career setback]. manager-magazin.de (in German). Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Hat Friedrich Merz wirklich zwei Flugzeuge?" [Does Friedrich Merz really have two planes?]. stern.de (in German). 28 November 2018. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018.
  7. ^ Braun, Stefan (2018). "Die große Zeitenwende ist eine Chance für die CDU" [The great turning point is an opportunity for the CDU]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). ISSN 0174-4917. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  8. ^ Connolly, Kate (7 December 2018). "Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer elected Merkel's successor as CDU leader". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  9. ^ "Laschet zum neuen CDU-Chef gewählt" [Laschet elected new CDU leader]. tagesschau.de (in German). 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Pragmatic governor Laschet elected to lead Merkel's party". Associated Press. 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021.
  11. ^ "German exit polls: Clear win for Merz's centre-right CDU/CSU". Yahoo News. 23 February 2025. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  12. ^ Parker, Jessica (23 February 2025). "Friedrich Merz: Risk-taker who flirted with far right". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Germany's Merz set to be elected chancellor on May 6, sources say". Reuters. 11 April 2025. Archived from the original on 12 April 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  14. ^ Picheta, Rob (6 May 2025). "Merz wins on second ballot to be Germany's next chancellor, hours after historic defeat in first round". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  15. ^ Escritt, Thomas (31 October 2018). "Conservative contenders vie to overturn Merkel's centrism". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference ind1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "Merz will CDU-Chef werden: 'Wir brauchen Aufbruch und Erneuerung, keinen Umsturz'" [Merz wants to become CDU leader: 'We need a new beginning and renewal, not a coup']. Die Welt (in German). 31 October 2018. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference www.handelsblatt.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ "Germany's Merz vows 'independence' from Trump's America, warning NATO may soon be dead". 24 February 2025. Archived from the original on 24 February 2025.

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