May 6, 2025, 6:46am
This year, a poster for Friedrich Merz’s election campaign in western Germany. Credit… Kirill Kudryavtsev/Agence France-Presse – Getty Images
Before he returned to politics, Friedrich Merz accepted an invitation to a gathering of French foreign legions in Corsica, winning national elections and failing to win jobs in his first vote in parliament.
At the final moments, the organizers asked him to arrive on the parade ground by parachute, not on roads or rail. Merz, a corporate lawyer at the time, never jumped out of the plane. However, fellow attendees recalled that Merz had not hesitated recently. He jumped – normally, but with a slightly rough landing.
Whether Merz has roughly landed on his bid for the Prime Minister is still unclear whether he is still stumbling or even more disastrous. He appears likely to become Germany’s next leader at a time of crucial importance for the country’s economy, security and role in Europe.
But his failure to secure the votes he needs to become prime minister on Tuesday is an ominous sign for Merz. He is trying to narrow down lawmakers to tackle the crisis at home and abroad, whilst keeping the surge from Germany or the far-right alternatives of the AFD.
Merz is a product of Germany’s wealthy West Sauerland, the region that defines his politics and persona. During his campaign he ran with the slogan “More Sauerland for More Germany,” recalling the image of the region as the country’s centre.
Supporters call him an agile politician with the potential to carry out the big issues that bother the German people: growth, defense, immigration.
“I think he’s very well prepared, very deeply thoughtful and considerate,” said John P. Schmitz, assistant White House advisor under George H.W. Bush. Schmitz hired Merz to help work in the German office of Chicago law firm Meyer Brown, and ran out of a Corsica plane around 2005 with Merz.
But others say that Merz struggles to take one step ahead, leading him to break his promise.
His surrounding aspects of spending and migration alienate many of his basic conservative voters. Merz and his party have fallen into votes since the election, and the AFD has even been drawn with them in several investigations. Even before Tuesday’s loss, he has the lowest approval rate for modern German leaders.
“There’s this old proverb: “No matter what you do, act wisely and consider the end,” said Ruprecht Polenz, former executive director of Merz’s party. “This way of thinking,” he added. “I don’t feel that it’s his main strength.”
Read more about Merz, his background, and his approach to politics in his profile.
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