Friedrich Merz is set to become the post-World War Germany’s 10th chancellor marking the culmination of a years-long political career that was once sidelined by his party's iconic leader. The 69-year-old head of the centre-right Union bloc, which won the country's national election with 28.6 per cent of the votes, has by far the best chance of forming a new government.
The most likely outcome appeared to be a coalition with the Social Democrats, which have led an unpopular coalition since 2021 with two other parties.
The top job has been late in coming for Merz, a lawyer by profession, who saw his ascent derailed by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in the early 2000s and even turned his back on active politics for several years. Despite his political experience, he is heading to the chancellery without previously having served in government.
All you need to know about Friedrich Merz:
A break from politics Merz turned his back on active politics for several years after leaving the parliament in 2009.
He practised law and headed the supervisory board of investment manager BlackRock's German branch. During that break, he often travelled for business to the United States and China, though he never lived outside Germany.
"Friedrich Merz is perhaps the most international chancellor Germany has had since the war — if he becomes chancellor," said Volker Resing, who wrote the recently published biography "Friedrich Merz: his path to power". Merz "relies on personal initiative, on the freedom of the individual, on creativity and motivation. And only secondarily on the state", Resing said.
- Political comeback
Merz launched his political comeback after Merkel stepped down as CDU leader in 2018 and announced that she wouldn't seek a fifth term of chancellor. However, he was narrowly defeated by centrist candidates more in Merkel's mold in party leadership votes in 2018 and early 2021.
Merz persisted and was elected party leader in the third attempt, after the center-right's defeat by current Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Germany's 2021 election. Merz cemented his power by also becoming the leader of the Union's parliamentary group.
Roots in rural Germany, Merz represents his rural region in Germany's parliament — an area where people are “rather down-to-earth, perhaps a little reserved,” Resing said. As a politician, Merz has always championed conservative values and stressed the importance of family.
- Personal life
He met his wife Charlotte, who is now a judge, while he was studying law. The couple has three adult children. Merz joined the CDU in 1972 and was elected to the European Parliament in 1989. He first joined the German parliament in 1994.
A pilot openly passionate about his hobby, Merz sometimes flies his own small plane from his home in the Sauerland region in western Germany to Berlin early on Monday mornings.
(With inputs from the Associated Press)