Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz is a German politician and lawyer born on 11 November 1955 in Brilon, a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.^【1】 Merz has served as the 10th Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany since 6 May 2025, as leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).^【2】

Merz is the eldest of four children in a family of Westphalian origin with Huguenot (French Protestant immigrant) ancestry and a strong legal tradition.^【3】 His father, from a Catholic family, served as a judge in local courts.^【4】 Merz completed secondary school with the Abitur in Rüthen in 1975 and fulfilled his military service between 1975 and 1976.^【5】 He then studied law and political science from 1976 to 1981 at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn and the Philipps-Universität in Marburg.^【6】 After passing his first state law examination in 1982, Merz completed his legal traineeship (Referendariat) at the Saarbrücken State Court (Landgericht) from 1982 to 1985 and passed his second state law examination in 1985.^【7】 A member of the CDU since 1972, Merz married fellow law trainee Charlotte Gass in 1981; the couple has three children.^【8】

^{German Chancellor Friedrich Merz} (Anadolu Ajansı)

Merz served as a judge at the Saarbrücken District Court (Amtsgericht) from 1985 to 1986 and began practicing as a lawyer in 1986.^【9】 In the same year, he began working as a consultant for the Chemical Industry Association (Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V.), a position he held until 1989.^【10】

Merz served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1994, during which time he was a member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.^【11】 Elected to parliament at age 33, Merz was described by Dagmar Roth-Behrendt of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), who was also elected to the European Parliament at the time, as a serious, reliable, honest, and courteous young representative.^【12】

Merz served as a member of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) from 1994 to 2009, directly representing the Hochsauerlandkreis electoral district with an absolute majority in the 1994 election and subsequent elections until 2005.^【13】 As a member of the Bundestag’s Finance Committee, Merz was appointed spokesperson for the CDU/CSU group on the committee in 1996 and played a role in drafting the “Petersberg Principles,” a tax reform proposal developed during Helmut Kohl’s government.^【14】

Merz served as Deputy Chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 1998 to 2000 and rose to become Chair of the group in 2000 amid the political turmoil caused by the CDU’s donation scandal (Spendenaffäre).^【15】 He held this position until 2002.^【16】 During his tenure as group chair, Merz gained prominence for his conservative bioethical positions and his views on migration, integration, and the far right. In October 2000, he argued that immigrants must declare their allegiance to the liberal values enshrined in the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz); his use of the term “deutsche Leitkultur” (German guiding culture), borrowed from political scientist Bassam Tibi, sparked controversy.^【17】

Following Angela Merkel’s request to assume leadership of the parliamentary group after the 2002 federal elections, Merz returned to the role of Deputy Chair from 2002 to 2004.^【18】

After losing an internal power struggle with Merkel, Merz retreated from politics and joined the international law firm Mayer Brown LLP as a partner in 2005, continuing in this role with the title of Senior Counsel until 2021.^【19】 His membership in the Bundestag ended with the 2009 elections.^【20】

In December 2021, Merz was elected leader of the CDU in the party’s first-ever membership-wide vote, having previously failed in two attempts in late 2018 and early 2021.^【21】 Returning to the Bundestag in 2021, Merz also served as Chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2022 to 2025.^【22】 Merz, who hails from the Sauerland region of North Rhine-Westphalia, is described as a forthright speaker who more clearly represents the CDU/CSU’s conservative and business-friendly traditions than other prominent figures of his generation.^【23】

As the CDU/CSU’s candidate for chancellor following its victory in the early general election on 24 February 2025, Merz broke a political taboo during the campaign by collaborating with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to tighten immigration laws, signaling a clear departure from the centrist stance of the CDU under Merkel.^【24】

Merz was elected chancellor by the Bundestag on 6 May 2025.^【25】 To form a government, Merz needed 316 votes in the 630-seat parliament; he received only 310 votes in the first ballot, failing to secure the required majority—an unprecedented event in Germany’s post-World War II history.^【26】 In a second vote held later that same day, he secured 325 votes and was elected chancellor.^【27】

Following state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in March 2026, political scientist Klaus Schubert from the University of Münster assessed that governing under Merz would not be easy.^【28】

Schubert noted that although the CDU increased its vote share by 5.6 percentage points compared to the 2021 elections in Baden-Württemberg, it remained in second place behind the Greens; the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) increased its vote share by 9.1 percentage points to reach 18.8 percent; and its coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), fell to 5.5 percent. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the SPD lost 9.8 percentage points, ending at 25.9 percent, while the AfD gained 11.2 percentage points to reach 19.5 percent.^【29】 Schubert emphasized that unlike previous CDU chancellors Angela Merkel and Helmut Kohl, Merz is not fully accepted within his own party and that the election results did not strengthen his position.^【30】

In a speech in Berlin in May 2026, Merz stated that Germany is experiencing its most difficult period since World War II due to long-standing structural problems and economic pressures from global crises.^【31】 Arguing that controversial budget cuts and planned reforms to the social security system are necessary to safeguard the country, Merz remarked, “We are facing new crises every day, expanding in scope, sometimes on a weekly basis.”^【32】

^{Foreign Minister Fidan and German Chancellor Merz} (Anadolu Ajansı)

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was received by Chancellor Merz in Berlin on 18 May 2026 during his visit to attend the Third Meeting of the Türkiye-Germany Strategic Dialogue Mechanism.^【33】

In a speech to the Federal Parliament on behalf of the government, Merz expressed confidence that the European Parliament would approve the trade agreement with the United States.^【34】 Merz expressed optimism that the agreement reached with U.S. President Donald Trump in July 2025 would receive broad support from European lawmakers and remove a major obstacle in transatlantic relations, stating, “This will send a clear signal that Europe keeps its word. In return, we expect the same from our partners.”^【35】 In the same speech, Merz addressed the security situation in the Gulf region, stating that Germany is prepared to assume responsibility in the region following the cessation of hostilities.^【36】

Before attending the G7 Leaders Summit hosted in Évian-les-Bains, France, Merz stated in a public address at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport that he welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, congratulated President Trump and Iran on this diplomatic development, and thanked the partners who contributed to the process, particularly Pakistan and Qatar.^【37】

^{World leaders gathered in Canada for the G7 Summit} (Anadolu Ajnası)

Merz stated that the agreement could contribute to the recovery of the global economy and the stabilization of the region, adding, “The agreement reached must now be implemented with determination.”^【38】 He emphasized that the agreement must also remain valid in Lebanon and noted that the German government will continue supporting efforts in this direction.^【39】

In the lead-up to the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara on 7–8 July 2026, Chancellor Merz engaged in a series of diplomatic contacts in Berlin. Two weeks before the summit, Merz invited the leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Poland (the “E5”) and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to Berlin, stating that they wished to “jointly make the summit a success.”^【40】

Merz outlined five key messages: NATO must be strongly supported; the Alliance’s European pillar must be strengthened by raising defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP (Germany aims to reach this target by 2029); the German armed forces and defense industry must be firmly positioned within the Alliance; a strong financial commitment to Ukraine will be signaled in Ankara; and the U.S.-Iran agreement has been welcomed.^【41】

^{German Chancellor Friedrich Merz} (Anadolu Ajansı)

A week before the summit, in a separate press conference with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Rutte, Merz stated that the future of the Middle East would also be addressed at the NATO Summit and that Germany would continue to support efforts toward a lasting peace between the United States and Iran.^【42】 Merz emphasized that the common goal is the termination of Iran’s nuclear program and the permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz. In response to a question about whether Germany would contribute to the $30 billion fund proposed under the U.S.-Iran agreement, he replied that he hoped for the cessation of hostilities and the signing of an agreement beyond the current understanding.

Merz stated that the energy infrastructure in the region must be rebuilt to ensure secure energy supplies for Europe and Germany; he stressed that Europeans have not taken sufficient steps in recent years to secure their own security, but are now making up for it—not to meet a target set by the United States, but in pursuit of their own interests.^【43】

Merz is married to Charlotte Merz, a lawyer and judge, and is the father of three children.^【44】