Back Friedrich Merz AN فريدرش ميرتس Arabic فريدرش ميرتس ARZ Фрыдрых Мерц Byelorussian Фрыдрых Мэрц BE-X-OLD Friedrich Merz Czech Фридрих Мерц CV Friedrich Merz Danish Friedrich Merz German Φρίντριχ Μερτς Greek
Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef "Friedrich" Merz (German: [mɛɐts]; born 11 November 1955) is a German politician[1][2] who has served as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 31 January 2022 and led the CDU/CSU (Union) parliamentary group as well as been Leader of the Opposition in the Bundestag since 15 February 2022.[3][failed verification] In September 2024, Merz became the Union's designated candidate for Chancellor of Germany ahead of the 2025 federal election.[4][5][6]
Merz was born in Brilon, and is of French Huguenot descent on his mother's side. 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. In 2000 he was elected chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in 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.[7][8]
After the 2002 federal election, CDU party leader Angela 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[9][8] 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. 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,[10][11] and January 2021.[12][13]
As a young politician in the 1970s and 1980s, he was a staunch supporter of anti-communism, the dominant state doctrine of West Germany and a core tenet of the CDU. Merz has described himself as socially conservative and economically liberal, and is seen as a representative of the traditional establishment conservative and pro-business wings of the CDU.[14] His book Mehr Kapitalismus wagen (Venturing More Capitalism) advocates economic liberalism. He has been chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke association which promotes German-American understanding and Atlanticism, and is a staunch supporter of the European Union and NATO, having described himself as "a truly convinced European, a convinced "transatlanticist".[15] Merz advocates a closer union and "an army for Europe".[16]
A corporate lawyer and reputed multimillionaire, Merz is also a licensed private pilot and owns two airplanes.[17][18]
- ^ Taylor, Paul (9 November 2024). "The collapse of Germany's government will delight Trump – and his European friends". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "German opposition leader Merz says debt brake can be reformed". Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Merz takes over as center-right opposition leader in Germany". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ ""Ich habe ein Versprechen gegeben, dass sich 2021 nicht wiederholen wird"" ["I made a promise that 2021 will not be repeated"]. Der Spiegel. 17 September 2024. Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ "German opposition Christian Democrats tap leader Friedrich Merz as their candidate for chancellor". AP News. 17 September 2024. Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024. [author missing]
- ^ "German conservative leader announces chancellor candidacy". Politico. 17 September 2024. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ 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 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Berlin, Kommentar von Stefan Braun (2018). "Die große Zeitenwende ist eine Chance für die CDU" [The great turning point is an opportunity for the CDU]. sueddeutsche.de (in German). ISSN 0174-4917. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Pragmatic governor Laschet elected to lead Merkel's party". Associated Press. 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021.
- ^ Escritt, Thomas (31 October 2018). "Conservative contenders vie to overturn Merkel's centrism". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018.
- ^ WELT (31 October 2018). "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). Archived from the original on 1 November 2018 – via www.welt.de.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
www.handelsblatt.comwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Sorge, Nils-Viktor (20 May 2014). "Ex-CDU-Star Friedrich Merz: Ganz unten" [Ex CDU star Friedrich Merz and the career setback]. www.manager-magazin.de (in German). Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ "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.