Friedrich Merz: Man who challenged Merkel and may assist Ukraine

Let’s take a closer look at who this rising star in German politics is, and how he may be an improvement over his predecessors who made Germany dependent on Russian gas and Kremlin narratives. And, at the same time, can he help Ukraine with TAURUS missiles?

Hereditary lawyer

Friedrich Merz was born in 1955 in the town of Brilon into a model German family. His father was a judge, his grandfather was a mayor, and his great-grandfather had been a member of the NSDAP - something he did because it was "the thing to do" in the 1930s. At 17, Merz joined the CDU party and later went on to law school. A talented speaker and promising young politician, he became a member of the European Parliament in 1989. In 1994, he joined the Bundestag.

Merz's approach to his election campaign was highly creative: it featured peasants, foresters, and even a fox voiced by Helmut Kohl. By the way, Kohl was the politician whom young Merz had long admired. Rigorous lawyers with conservative values have long appealed to the German electorate, often rising to the highest offices - and Merz was eager to follow in their footsteps.

Feud with Angela Merkel

Helmut Kohl, the architect of German reunification and chancellor for 16 consecutive years, ended his political career in scandal. The CDU party lost the election to its rivals, and pro-Russian politician Gerhard Schröder came to power, putting the country on Gazprom’s hook. Shortly after, Kohl himself became embroiled in a money-laundering scandal. In the aftermath, the CDU/CSU quickly sought out new stars to restore its reputation, and two forty-somethings emerged: Friedrich Merz and Angela Merkel. Merkel became the party leader, while Merz took charge of the parliamentary faction. At the time, German politics was a male-dominated arena, and women were largely seen as “decorations for the collective,” so Merkel found herself in a quiet battle for power with her charismatic rival.

When their leadership rivalry began to take shape, many believed that Merz, the lawyer from Sauerland, would quickly tame the newcomer from East Germany. However, Merz and his allies underestimated Merkel. Over the next two years, Angela seized the initiative, gradually taking control of the CDU and pushing Merz into the background. Some of her moves were simple but effective. For example, she introduced the tradition of Sunday meetings before the start of the working week. Merz, who spent weekends going to his family in Sauerland, couldn’t attend, while Merkel lived just a stone’s throw from the CDU headquarters.

Merkel also found the bureaucratic levers to take over the faction leader position. One day, Merz woke up to find himself a regular deputy. Merz decided to leave politics in 2009 and turn to business.

Millions of euros and access to Trump

Merz spent the next several years on the supervisory and management boards of numerous German companies - airports, banks, football clubs, and industrial giants - wherever his expertise was needed. His sharp business acumen and impeccable reputation quickly became well-known in the German business community.

In 2018, Merz made an unsuccessful attempt to challenge Merkel within the party. In an interview with Bild, he recklessly revealed that he earned a monthly salary of one million euros but still considered himself “middle class.” This comment, along with the revelation of his private jet, caused a major scandal. Merkel and her ally Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer seized on it, and Merz was forced to spend some time working in the United States.

However, his role as chairman of the supervisory board of BlackRock’s German operations opened doors to influential Republican donors in the U.S., many of whom became major supporters of Donald Trump. By April 2024, Merz suddenly found himself at the helm of the CDU, hailed as its young and promising leader, while Merkel was increasingly sidelined. She came to be seen as a political has-been, blamed for Germany’s inadequate migration policies and for leading the country down a path that many felt had left it irrevocably changed.

First German politician in Irpin

Friedrich Merz was one of the first German politicians to visit Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion began. In early May 2022, he arrived in Kyiv by train, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klychko. He also toured the Kyiv region to witness the aftermath of the Russian occupation.

Following his visit, the opposition leader urged Chancellor Olaf Scholz to also travel to Kyiv, which Scholz did soon after.

Merz has a long-standing and positive relationship with Ukraine's former Ambassador to Germany, Andrii Melnyk. The two frequently meet on political talk shows on German television.

Ardent support for Ukraine, but criticism of refugees

Friedrich Merz has been a strong critic of the current German government for what he sees as its insufficient support for Ukraine. He believes that Germany cannot afford to lag behind its neighbors when they are supplying Ukraine with modern weapons. Merz has sharply criticized Chancellor Scholz, calling him a "lame duck" for failing to deliver long-range Taurus missiles and other essential military aid to Ukraine. According to Merz, these missiles should be provided to Ukraine after consultations with the U.S.

When it comes to supporting Ukrainian refugees, Merz and his party have taken a more stringent stance. In 2022, Merz questioned whether refugees should even be entitled to social assistance. "We are already seeing social tourism among these refugees: traveling to Germany, returning to Ukraine, then back to Germany, and so on," he said.

In early 2024, Merz called for stricter rules regarding the employment of Ukrainian refugees in Germany. He also criticized the fact that Ukrainian refugees are entitled to full social benefits, such as the "citizens' money" (Bürgergeld), which puts them on par with German citizens. This, he argued, gives them more state support than other refugees who must apply for asylum and wait months for a decision.

It’s important to note that Merz’s stance is not rooted in prejudice against Ukrainians. In the CDU/CSU bloc's updated program, they advocate for reducing social assistance to encourage the 5.5 million unemployed migrants in Germany to enter the workforce. These plans are set to be implemented if the CDU/CSU wins the upcoming Bundestag elections in February 2025. A quick spoiler: they also aim to revise support programs for Syrians and Arabs. So, this is not about xenophobia - it's part of a broader approach to migrant integration.

Merz and Taurus missiles for Ukraine

Friedrich Merz has made it clear that he supports military aid to Ukraine, but his rhetoric surrounding the delivery of German long-range missiles has evolved over time.

On October 13, Merz stated that he would be in favor of providing Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, but with certain conditions. "I would say that if Russia's bombing does not stop, the first step should be to lift the range restriction. The second step would be to supply Taurus missiles," the leader of Germany’s conservative opposition said. He added that then, Russian President Vladimir Putin “will decide for himself how far he wants to go in this war.”

However, after his visit to Kyiv on December 9, Merz took a more cautious approach in an interview with Die Welt. He acknowledged that the Russian-Ukrainian war had reached a stalemate, saying, “Maybe there is no such Wunderwaffe [wonder-weapon], maybe there will be no weapon that will change the rules of the game.”

When it came to the German Taurus missiles, Merz was even more reserved. “We need to see if this system fits into the overall strategy,” he explained. He also agreed with Chancellor Scholz, his political rival, that Germany should avoid becoming a direct party to the war.

So, why has Merz become more cautious about sending the Taurus missiles to Ukraine? The reason is clear: after the February 2025 elections, the Christian Democrats will likely have to form a coalition with Olaf Scholz’s SPD party. As a result, Merz is already tempering his positions in preparation for negotiations with the SPD on the most sensitive issues.

Merz’s attitude toward Russia

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the German opposition, believes that his predecessor, Angela Merkel, made a serious mistake when she decided to shut down the country’s nuclear power plants after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. This, according to Merz, led to Germany becoming far more dependent on Russian energy.

Merz has been one of the few top politicians in Germany to openly criticize the construction of Nord Stream 2, calling it a direct threat to Germany’s security and interests.

In May 2024, Merz pushed for an updated CDU party program that marked a clear departure from Merkel's policies, signaling an end to her left-leaning approach. The new program shifts its focus, placing the threat posed by Russia at the forefront - after discussing issues such as the situation in the world's poorest countries, relations with African states, and human rights protections.

“Russia, which is waging a criminal war of aggression and challenging the European peace order and the sovereignty of neighboring states by force, can no longer be considered a partner,” the CDU program states.

However, the party leaves a glimmer of hope for the future, envisioning a day when “Russia will change” and become a state that “unquestionably recognizes the right to exist of its neighboring countries,” and could once again become “a predictable political and economic partner.”

On a more positive note, for the first time, Merz's party acknowledges that Europe’s security system should not be organized with Russia, but rather, in opposition to Russia, to protect the continent from its aggression. Additionally, the CDU has reaffirmed its commitment to providing “comprehensive” assistance to Ukraine and supporting Kyiv’s bid for EU and NATO membership.

Specially for Espreso

About the author: Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolaieva, journalist.

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of blogs.