Two and a half months after his victory in the legislative elections, the chief of the Conservatives Friedrich Merz succeeds Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, at the head of a coalition government appointed for four years. But its historic failure in the first ballot, this Tuesday morning, sounds like a serious departure hiccup.
Often described as“Man of the past”, The new chancellor arouses great hopes for his European allies who are firmly on Germany’s support in a world turned upside down by Donald Trump and threatened by Vladimir Putin.
The road was long for this Training lawyerdismissed from power in the early 2000s by Angela Merkel while he considered himself the natural heir of Helmut Kohl, the father of German reunification.
Whoever has never occupied a ministerial post takes the reins of the first European power to a Geopolitical change momentwhere Europe seeks to free itself from the military supervision of an American ally which has become unpredictable to defense in the face of the Russian threat.
Convinced Atlantist, he nevertheless promised to bring his country back to the center of the European game with a “Strong voice” To defend the interests of the continent, also targeted by the Trump trade war.
This supporter of a Ukraine flawless help has already marked the spirits by announcing in March with its government partners of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) an unprecedented expense program of several hundred billions of euros for Rearmer and modernize Germany So far very attached to budgetary orthodoxy.
“A fantastic beginning for Friedrich Merz”had then titled the weekly The Economist in a very flattering editorial.
Millionaire and amateur plane pilot
But the audacity that is worth this millionaire and amateur plane pilot The praises of European allies caused at this stage, in Germany, Critics and dissatisfaction.
“Never has a chancellor began his mandate with such weak confidence” of the population, estimates for AFP the professor of political science at the University of Cassel Wolfgang Schroeder, in reference to the recent opinion polls.
Many, including in his ranks, blame him for having betrayed his word by reforming the “Debt brake” Listed in the Constitution, this mechanism limiting the debt capacity, but also of investment, of the country.
-That makes it Alternative far right party game for Germany (AFD) who denounces his “lie”.
“Many will depend on the skill of Friedrich Merz for sale” the idea that “Security is now absolute priority”, and that the debt for this is “inevitable”, underlines the political scientist Ursula Münch from the University of Tutzing (South).
“Businessman”
During the electoral campaign, he promised a Net right turn If he became Chancellor, with in particular a tightening of migration rules following several deadly attacks involving foreigners.
From his election at the head of the CDU in 2022, he announced a complete reversal of the generous reception policy inherited from Angela Merkel (2005-2021).
Revenge in the face of that which dismissed it in 2002 from the strategic position of president of the CDU parliamentary group, leading him to convert into finance in 2009, notably at BlackRock, one of the biggest asset managers in the world.
According to him, only one restrictive policy In this area can effectively slow down the development of AFD, founded in 2013 by former CDU executives, with whom it excludes all cooperation despite the exhortations of Trump and his relatives.
The one who promised to “Restore his pride” Germany will also have to find the parade to resolve the Deep Industrial Model Crisis Crossing by the country, which could be aggravated by the new customs drivers decreed by Trump.
Convinced liberal, he wants above all Reduce business taxes and bureaucracy.
“Many think of the CDU that Merz and Trump could get along well”estimated the magazine The mirror. “Merz knows the United States, he had a career in the private sector, so he is also a businessman, which should appeal to the” Deals “of the White House”.
