[NewsPerson] 'Merkel Rival' Germany's New Chancellor Candidate Merz

Left Politics After Losing Power Struggle... Succeeded on Third Attempt in 2021
Traditional Conservative Opposed to Merkel... Known for Bold Personality
Businessman from BlackRock Expected to Negotiate with Trump

In the German federal election held on the 23rd (local time), the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance won, effectively confirming Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, as the new chancellor. Merz, who was selected as the CDU/CSU alliance's chancellor candidate last September, was mentioned as the new chancellor candidate thanks to public opinion favoring a judgment on the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD)-led 'traffic light' coalition government.

According to The New York Times (NYT), Merz, born in 1955 in Sauerland, western Germany, developed an interest in politics by joining the CDU in high school. After military service, he entered university and majored in law. He was elected to the European Parliament in 1989 and entered the German Bundestag in 1994. With the support of Wolfgang Sch?uble, a prominent German politician and former finance minister, he solidified his position within the party. However, he was sidelined after losing a power struggle with political rival former Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2002 and left politics in 2009.

Friedrich Merz, CDU Leader. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Afterwards, he worked as a corporate lawyer and lobbyist, amassing considerable wealth. Leading the German-American friendship organization Atlantic Br?cke, he built close relationships with American politicians and businesspeople while promoting the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). He also served on corporate boards, including as chairman of BlackRock Germany. When former Chancellor Merkel stepped down in 2018, he sought to return to politics and was elected CDU leader in December 2021 on his third attempt.

Although he belonged to the same party as his rival, former Chancellor Merkel, he is considered to have opposing views. Merkel was a center-right politician who pursued policies such as immigration and nuclear phase-out, while Merz is classified as a traditional conservative. When elected CDU leader, he even adopted the slogan "breaking with the Merkel era." He has advocated reducing welfare benefits and lowering income and corporate taxes. He values the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance and strongly opposed former U.S. President Donald Trump's pressure to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Compared to the cautious Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Merz is regarded as bold and willing to take risks. After a recent stabbing incident involving Afghan refugees last month, he took a hardline stance, stating, "If I become chancellor, on the first day I will control all borders and effectively ban the entry of immigrants without valid documents."

From the early stages of his election campaign, Merz emphasized his image as a businessman who could negotiate with President Trump. According to the political media outlet Politico, conservatives in Germany expect Merz's tough immigration policies and business-oriented approach to appeal to Trump. Merz is considered a leading 'America expert' in German politics, having visited the U.S. over 100 times. He cites former U.S. President Ronald Reagan as a role model, a politician admired by Trump to the extent that Trump hung Reagan's portrait in his office.

However, his low popularity among the public could pose an obstacle in the future. In a chancellor preference poll released by German broadcaster ZDF on the 14th, Merz's approval rating was 33%. Opinions on his corporate background are mixed. While some expect him to break the cycle of economic recession and lead growth, Politico pointed out that in Germany, where distrust of the financial industry runs deep, he faces a critical public perception.