Friedrich Merz, Whose Party Winning Germany's Election
7- 23.02.2025, 21:55
- 22,928
Will the amateur pilot become the ace of German politics?
Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and the favourite in the election race, has waited a long time for this moment - he is one step away from the German chancellor's chair, Euronews reports.
The 69-year-old candidate has been consistently leading in the polls since incumbent head of government Olaf Scholz lost a vote of confidence last December, which resulted in early elections scheduled for 23 February.
A long-time rival of Angela Merkel's more centrist stance, the right-wing Merz took over as CDU leader in January 2022 and was nominated as a candidate for chancellor last September.
Seeking to steer the party in a more conservative direction, he has made curbing illegal migration the centrepiece of his policies.
Merz studied law and initially worked as a lawyer. Having joined the CDU while still at school, he always aspired to politics and was elected to the European Parliament in 1989. He then switched to the domestic political arena, becoming a member of the German Parliament in 1994.
Moving up the party ladder over the next few years, Merz was eventually sidelined in the party as a result of his struggle for power with Angela Merkel. He decided to retire from politics and spent several years working in senior positions in the private sector, such as at BlackRock Germany and HSBC Trinkhaus & Burkhardt, as well as serving on the boards of EY Germany and the Borussia Dortmund football club.
His return to parliament more than a decade later was marked by attempts to shift the CDU in a socially conservative direction close to business interests.
In January, Merz created a real furore when he pushed through in parliament a non-binding motion aimed at tightening immigration rules such as border controls and increased deportations, despite criticism that this could violate both German and European asylum laws.
He appears potentially ready to enter politically risky territory. When Merz abandoned his stance of not working with Alternative for Germany and breached the so-called ‘firewall’ against the party, he was widely criticised. He later excluded any future co-operation with the far-right.
The German economy is currently in dire straits and Merz often criticises the economic policies pursued by the Scholz government, blaming it for the downturn. He is an advocate of cutting social benefits and reducing the number of civil servants. He is also in favour of tax cuts, which would reduce state revenues, while at the same time not opposing cuts in state subsidies.
As for foreign policy, Friedrich Merz was assertive during the Munich Security Conference last week, saying that Germany should play a greater leadership role in the EU, as well as pledging support for Ukraine and backing its accession to NATO.
Merz is married and has three children. An aviation enthusiast, he reportedly owns two aeroplanes, which he flies in his spare time when not in the office.
Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims
You can contact us by the e-mail [email protected]
