Who is Friedrich Merz and what’s in his in-tray?

<p>Former banker almost certain to be Germany’s next chancellor faces testing domestic political and economic landscape – and then there’s Donald Trump</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/feb/23/german-election-live-olaf-scholz-alice-weidel-afd-friedrich-merz-germany-latest-news">German election – latest updates</a></strong></li></ul><p>Friedrich Merz, a former banker who has never been a government minister, appears almost certain to be the next chancellor of Germany after his conservative CDU/CSU alliance won the most votes in Sunday’s crucial federal election.</p><p>During the campaign his decision to win a vote in parliament by relying on far-right support proved a historic and highly controversial turning point, even if he has since insisted he would never break Germany’s “firewall” (“brandmauer”) by going into coalition government with the anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/23/who-is-friedrich-merz-and-whats-in-his-in-tray">Continue reading...</a>