Friedrich Merz, a migration hardliner and long-time rival of Angela Merkel, is set to become Germany's next chancellor, leading a government formed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). Merz's leadership promises a shift in economic and migration policies, with a focus on tax reductions, deregulation, and stricter border controls.
Friedrich Merz is on the verge of becoming Germany 's next chancellor, leading a government formed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). Merz, a known migration hardliner and longtime rival of Angela Merkel, is projected to take the helm after his party, the CDU, secured a commanding lead in polls alongside its affiliate, the CSU, just days before the election.
This comes after Merz led the CDU organization and headed the opposition CDU-CSU parliamentary group since 2022. The CSU, a regional party that has dominated Bavarian politics for decades, forms a union with the CDU at a federal level.Before entering politics, Merz, 69, embarked on a career in law. He initially worked as a judge, followed by a stint as a lawyer at Mayer Brown LLP. He also held senior positions at prominent corporations such as BlackRock Germany and HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt, and served on the boards of EY Germany, Borussia Dortmund, and the Deutsche Börse. Merz's political journey began in his youth when he joined the CDU and eventually led the local branch of the party's youth organization. In 1989, he served as a member of the European Parliament for five years before joining Germany's Bundestag for 15 years.Much of Merz's political career in the early 2000s was defined by a rivalry with Angela Merkel, vying for leadership positions within both the CDU and the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Merz held the positions of chair and deputy head of the latter group after 2000. Merz outlines his economic vision, advocating for tax reductions on both incomes and corporations. He aims to streamline bureaucratic processes to foster business growth and innovation, and adapt Germany's industrial framework to stimulate private investment. He aspires to make Germany more appealing to startups and proposes establishing a new ministerial position dedicated to digitalization and artificial intelligence. Merz has been highly critical of Olaf Scholz's economic policies, arguing they are responsible for the country's economic stagnation and calling for substantial changes. He expresses concerns about policies that he believes prioritize climate change over other economic factors. While acknowledging the urgency of the climate crisis, Merz has voiced skepticism towards certain actions taken to address it, such as the construction of wind turbines, believing that Germany must adopt a more balanced approach. He emphasizes the need for a strong German leadership role within Europe and advocates for an end to the war in Ukraine. Merz also supports increased security measures, higher deportations, and stricter border controls, criticizing Germany's current asylum and migration policies as too lenient and slow. He links these policies to violent crime and calls for a more assertive stance. Merz's stance on migration gained significant attention in January when a non-binding motion he spearheaded received support from the AfD, marking the first instance in post-war German history where a majority was achieved with the help of the far-right party.
GERMANY POLITICS FRIEDRICH MERZ CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION CHRISTIAN SOCIAL UNION ELECTION ECONOMIC POLICIES MIGRATION ASYLUM CLIMATE CHANGE
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