**German Federal Election: Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union Alliance Secures First Place**
On the 23rd (local time), following the exit polls of the German federal election, Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), delivered a speech. With the victory of the conservative parties CDU and Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance becoming certain, Merz is now closer to the position of Germany’s next chancellor, a leading nation in the European Union (EU).
Friedrich Merz, who was nominated as the chancellor candidate for the CDU/CSU alliance last September, has already been considered a strong candidate. He advocated for a judgment on the traffic light coalition government led by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which is of a center-left inclination. The CDU/CSU alliance gained approximately 29% of the vote in the exit polls, securing their position as the largest party in the Bundestag.
Before entering politics, Merz was a lawyer. Born in the Sauerland region in western Germany, he joined the CDU as a student. He began his political career as a Member of the European Parliament in 1989 at the age of 33 and was elected to the German Bundestag in 1994, marking his official start in domestic politics.
Merz was considered a long-time rival of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the 2000s. Merkel demonstrated her leadership by defeating Merz in the party’s candidacy race in 2000 and becoming the parliamentary leader of the CDU/CSU in 2002. Following this, Merz gradually lost influence and withdrew from politics in 2009. However, he successfully returned to politics by declaring his comeback in 2021 after Merkel stepped down, culminating in his success in this election.
After leaving politics, Merz returned to practicing law, working as a consultant for the global law firm Mayer Brown, and served as chairman of the board for the German branch of the asset management firm BlackRock, amassing wealth in the process. He reportedly owns two private jets. Merz, who supports a market-friendly economy, has been steering the party in a more rightward direction than during Merkel’s tenure to prevent conservative voters from turning to far-right parties.
Merz has particularly announced plans for stricter immigration policies. Following a knife attack incident involving Afghan refugees last month, he stated, “Upon taking office, I will control all borders and effectively prohibit the entry of immigrants without valid documents.” Economically, he focuses on tax cuts and deregulation. He also suggested a potential change in the government’s fiscal policy by reforming the debt brake clause, which limits the budget deficit to 0.35% of the GDP. Being pro-Europe, he has promised increased German support concerning the war in Ukraine.