Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef "Friedrich" Merz (German:; 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.

Dec 18, 2024 · Who Is Friedrich Merz, a Leading Candidate to Be Germany’s Next Chancellor? If polls are correct, Olaf Scholz’s successor could be the 69-year-old leader of the Christian Democratic Union.

Sep 17, 2024 · BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s opposition center-right Christian Democratic Union announced Tuesday that it has chosen its leader, Friedrich Merz, to be its candidate for chancellor in next year’s national election. The decision sets the stage for a possible challenge of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the federal election scheduled for September 2025.

1 day ago · Friedrich Merz and his Christian Democrats broke a political taboo by working with the hard-right Alternative for Germany to toughen rules on immigration. It did not pay off.

Nov 15, 2024 · When Friedrich Merz suddenly re-entered politics after a near 10-year absence, some described it as the Second Coming. Others said it was the return of the undead. However you describe it,...

Dec 11, 2024 · A protege of Wolfgang Schaeuble, finance minister and icon of fiscal conservatism, Merz rose to CDU parliamentary leader in the 2000s, before becoming one of several powerful men...

Dec 18, 2024 · Friedrich Merz, Federal Chairman of the CDU, speaks at a CDU campaign appearance for the European elections in the region of Hanover, May 24, 2024. Friedrich Merz’s long and winding journey towards the German chancellery is a tale of …

He is the Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2022. He was a Member of the European Parliament 1989 to 1994, a member of the Bundestag from 1994 to 2009, and as the chairman of CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2000 to 2002.

As the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) and the conservative parliamentary group that includes Bavaria's Christian Social...

Nov 7, 2024 · The collapse of Germany's 'traffic light' coalition government headed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz has thrown the focus on opposition leader Friedrich Merz. The 68-year-old, who leads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is a millionaire ex-corporate lawyer and rival of former Chancellor Angela Merkel.