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Friedrich Merz
Chancellor since May 6, 2025· Leader
FactTreaties, membership, measured data, events.
Germany's chancellor since May 2025, a center-right veteran who loosened the debt brake to fund defense.
See it on the Geopolitics map →The picture
Born in 1955, Merz was a rising Christian Democrat (CDU) who lost a power struggle with Angela Merkel, left politics in 2009 for business, including chairing BlackRock's German supervisory board, and returned to lead the CDU in 2022. His CDU/CSU won the February 2025 election with 28.5%; the far-right AfD came second with 20.8%. He governs with the Social Democrats and became the first postwar chancellor to fail the first parliamentary vote, winning a second round on May 6, 2025.
Why it matters
Merz is Europe's key paymaster for rearmament and Ukraine aid, and his coalition is the main barrier keeping the AfD from national power.
Record
Bundestag voting records, official election results and federal budget documents; his career is widely covered by German and international press.
What to watch
Whether his coalition survives rising AfD support, and whether his heavy borrowing revives the economy or mainly adds debt.
Connections (2)
▸Friedrich Merz leads GermanyFact
The relationship
Merz turned the CDU/CSU's 2025 election win into a coalition with the Social Democrats and set its agenda: borrowing for defense and infrastructure, tighter migration rules and a tougher line on Russia. His room to maneuver is limited by a slim majority and an AfD that rivals his party in national polls.
Since when and why
Berlin; Bundestag election on February 23, 2025; elected chancellor on the second ballot on May 6, 2025, with SPD leader Lars Klingbeil as vice-chancellor and finance minister.
How we know
Bundestag voting records and the published coalition agreement establish his office and program.
What to watch
Whether the coalition lasts until the 2029 election, and whether the CDU keeps its refusal to cooperate with the AfD (the 'firewall') under pressure from eastern states.
▸Friedrich Merz loosened Germany's debt brake for European rearmament (ReArm Europe)Fact
The relationship
Days after the Trump–Zelensky clash, Merz, then chancellor-in-waiting, pledged 'whatever it takes' and pushed a constitutional change through the outgoing Bundestag: defense spending above 1% of GDP is exempt from the debt brake, plus a €500 billion infrastructure fund. It unlocked Germany's rearmament.
Since when and why
Berlin; announced March 4, 2025; Bundestag vote March 18 and Bundesrat vote March 21, 2025, before the newly elected parliament, with a larger AfD and Left bloc, convened.
How we know
The amended Basic Law and budget laws are public; German ten-year bond yields jumped by the most in a day since 1990 on the announcement.
What to watch
Critics say Merz broke a campaign promise and used a lame-duck parliament; supporters say the threat justified it. Whether the money is spent efficiently is open.