Friedrich Merz is a German conservative politician who is set to become the next Chancellor of Germany following the Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) victory in the 2025 general elections. Here is an overview of his background and political stance:

Friedrich Merz was born on November 11, 1955, in Brilon, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He comes from a family with a strong legal background and is of French Huguenot descent on his mother's side.

Merz studied law at the University of Bonn and later at the University of Marburg, graduating in 1985. He worked as a judge and corporate lawyer before entering politics in 1989 as a member of the European Parliament.

He is married to Charlotte Merz, a fellow lawyer and judge, and they have three children together.

Merz joined the Young Union in 1972 and rose through the ranks of the CDU. He served in the European Parliament from 1989 to 1994 and then in the Bundestag from 1994 to 2009.

Merz was a rival of Angela Merkel within the CDU, particularly in the early 2000s. He was chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2000 to 2002 but stepped down after Merkel took over the party leadership.

After leaving politics in 2009, Merz returned in 2021 and became the CDU leader in January 2022.

Merz is known for his conservative and pro-business views. He advocates for reducing corporate taxes and bureaucratic red tape to boost Germany's economy, as outlined in his book Dare More Capitalism (originally titled Mehr Kapitalismus Wagen in German).

Merz has been vocal about his intention to tighten border controls and reduce undocumented migration, which has been a contentious issue in German politics.

Despite advocating for stronger European security, Merz has expressed admiration for the United States and has visited the country over 100 times. He supports transatlantic relations and has suggested discussing nuclear defence with France and the UK.

Merz's CDU, along with its ally the Christian Social Union (CSU), secured 28.5% of the votes in the 2025 elections, making him the likely next Chancellor of Germany. However, forming a government will require coalition negotiations, as the CDU-CSU alliance does not hold a majority in the Bundestag.

Agencies