Friedrich Merz facts for kids
Friedrich Merz, born on November 11, 1955, is an important German politician. Since 2025, he has been the Chancellor of Germany, which is like the head of the government. He is also the leader of a big political party called the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2022. Before becoming Chancellor, he was the main leader of the opposition in the German parliament, the Bundestag.
Merz was born in Brilon, a town in West Germany (now Germany). He joined a youth political group, the Young Union, when he was 17. After studying law, he worked as a judge and a lawyer. In 1989, he started his full-time political career when he was elected to the European Parliament. Later, he became a member of the German parliament, the Bundestag, and became known for his knowledge of money and finance.
In 2000, he became the leader of the CDU/CSU group in the Bundestag. At that time, he and Angela Merkel were seen as rivals for the leadership of their party. After the 2002 election, Angela Merkel took over as the main leader of the parliamentary group, and Merz became her deputy. He later left politics in 2009 to focus on his legal career, working for big companies. He returned to politics in 2018 and, after trying twice, was elected leader of the CDU in 2021. In 2024, he was chosen as the CDU/CSU candidate for Chancellor. He became Chancellor on May 6, 2025.
Quick facts for kids
Friedrich Merz
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Merz in 2025
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| Chancellor of Germany | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2025 |
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| President | Frank-Walter Steinmeier |
| Vice Chancellor | Lars Klingbeil |
| Preceded by | Olaf Scholz |
| Leader of the Christian Democratic Union | |
| Assumed office 31 January 2022 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Armin Laschet |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 15 February 2022 – 5 May 2025 |
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| Chancellor | Olaf Scholz |
| Preceded by | Ralph Brinkhaus |
| Succeeded by | Tino Chrupalla Alice Weidel |
| In office 29 February 2000 – 22 September 2002 |
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| Chancellor | Gerhard Schröder |
| Preceded by | Wolfgang Schäuble |
| Succeeded by | Angela Merkel |
| Leader of the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag | |
| In office 15 February 2022 – 5 May 2025 |
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| First Deputy | Alexander Dobrindt |
| Chief Whip | Thorsten Frei |
| Preceded by | Ralph Brinkhaus |
| Succeeded by | Jens Spahn |
| In office 29 February 2000 – 22 September 2002 |
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| First Deputy | Michael Glos |
| Chief Whip | Hans-Peter Repnik |
| Preceded by | Wolfgang Schäuble |
| Succeeded by | Angela Merkel |
| Member of the Bundestag for Hochsauerlandkreis |
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| Assumed office 26 October 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Patrick Sensburg |
| In office 10 November 1994 – 27 October 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Ferdinand Tillmann |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Sensburg |
| Member of the European Parliament for North Rhine-Westphalia |
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| In office 22 July 1989 – 19 July 1994 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz
11 November 1955 Brilon, West Germany |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union (since 1972) |
| Spouse |
Charlotte Gass
(m. 1981) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Arnsberg |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  West Germany |
| Branch/service |  Bundeswehr |
| Years of service | 1975–1976 |
| Unit | Panzer Artillery Training Battalion 310 |
Contents
Early Life and Education
Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz was born on November 11, 1955, in Brilon, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, which was then part of West Germany. His father was a judge and a member of the CDU political party. His mother's family, the Sauvignys, were a well-known and respected family in Brilon. His grandfather, Josef Paul Sauvigny, was even the mayor of Brilon.
Merz was raised as a Catholic. He grew up in his mother's family home, Sauvigny House, in Brilon. This historic house was built in 1752.
After finishing high school in 1975, Merz completed his military service in the German Army. From 1976, he studied law at the University of Bonn and later at the University of Marburg. After finishing law school in 1985, he worked as a judge. In 1986, he became a lawyer for a German chemical industry group.
Merz can speak German, French, and English.
Beginning His Political Journey
In 1972, when he was 17, Friedrich Merz joined the Young Union, which is the youth group of the CDU party. He became the leader of the Young Union in Brilon in 1980.
Serving in the European Parliament (1989–1994)
Merz was elected to the European Parliament in 1989. He served one term there until 1994. In this role, he was part of a committee that focused on money and economic matters.
Becoming a Member of the Bundestag (1994–2009)
From 1994, Merz became a member of the Bundestag, which is the German parliament. He represented his home area, Hochsauerland. In his first term, he worked on the Finance Committee.
In 2000, Merz became the chairman of the CDU/CSU group in the Bundestag. This meant he was the main leader of the opposition against the government led by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
After the 2002 election, Angela Merkel, who was the leader of the CDU party, took over the leadership of the parliamentary group. Merz then served as her deputy until 2004. He also became a member of the CDU's main leadership team. In 2009, he decided not to run for parliament again and left politics for a while.
Working in the Business World (2009–2018)
After leaving politics, Merz worked as a corporate lawyer. This means he advised large companies on legal matters, especially about their finances and business deals. He became a very successful lawyer and also served on the boards of many companies. Being on a company's board means he helped make important decisions for those businesses.
For example, he was the chairman of the supervisory board for BlackRock Germany, a very large investment company. He also served on the boards of companies like Robert Bosch GmbH and Stadler Rail.
In 2017, he was asked by the leader of North Rhine-Westphalia to be an advisor on Brexit (when the UK left the European Union) and relations with the United States.
Returning to Politics
When Angela Merkel announced she would step down as the leader of the CDU party, Friedrich Merz decided to run for the position in 2018. He was supported by Wolfgang Schäuble, another important CDU politician. However, Merz lost that election to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
He tried again in 2021 to become the CDU leader. This time, he was very close to winning but lost to Armin Laschet. Even though he didn't win, Merz was asked to join Laschet's campaign team for the national election, showing his importance in the party.
Before the 2021 German federal election, Merz decided to run for a seat in the Bundestag again. He won, returning to parliament after 12 years.
Becoming Chairman of the CDU (2022–Present)
In November 2021, Merz announced he would run for the CDU leadership a third time. This time, the party members themselves voted, not just delegates.
Merz promised to bring a new direction to the party, different from the more central path Angela Merkel had followed for many years. On December 17, 2021, Merz won with a clear majority of the votes from party members. This meant that on his third try, he finally became the leader of the CDU.
He was officially confirmed as Chairman of the CDU by the party's delegates on January 22, 2022. He officially took office on January 31, 2022, becoming the leader of the largest opposition party in the Bundestag.
Becoming the CDU Chancellor Candidate (2025)
In September 2024, Friedrich Merz was chosen as the candidate for Chancellor of Germany for the 2025 German federal election. Other potential candidates from his party decided not to run and instead supported Merz.
Chancellor of Germany (2025–Present)
On May 6, 2025, the German parliament voted for the new Chancellor. In the first round, Merz did not get enough votes to win right away. This was the first time in German history that a Chancellor candidate didn't get the needed votes in the first attempt. However, in a second round of voting held on the same day, he received enough votes and was elected as Chancellor.
What Friedrich Merz Believes In
Merz focuses on economic issues, foreign policy, security, and family matters. He describes himself as "socially conservative" (meaning he supports traditional values) and "economically liberal" (meaning he believes in less government control over the economy). He is seen as representing the traditional, pro-business side of the CDU party.
When he was a young politician in the 1970s and 1980s, he strongly supported anti-communism. This was a very important idea in West Germany at the time. His book, Mehr Kapitalismus wagen (which means Venturing More Capitalism), talks about his ideas for a more free economy.
Views on Migration
Merz believes that controlling irregular migration (people entering the country without permission) is a very important task. He has said that Angela Merkel's policy of open borders during the refugee crisis in 2015 was a mistake. In 2024, he called for asylum seekers to be turned away directly at the border.
Views on Social Policy
Merz is against the "Bürgergeld" (a type of unemployment payment) and wants to replace it with a new system. He believes that people who can work but choose not to should not receive unemployment payments.
Views on Foreign Policy
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Merz is a strong supporter of the European Union and NATO, which is a military alliance. He has always been very supportive of the United States. He used to be the chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke association, which works to improve understanding between Germany and the US. He sees former US President Ronald Reagan as one of his role models. However, he has been critical of the Trump administration.
Views on Energy and Environment
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Merz has said that stopping nuclear energy in Germany was a "grave strategic mistake."
Regarding the environment, Merz stated in 2023 that the CDU takes climate change seriously. However, he also said that the issue of climate change might be talked about too much in politics, and that Germans don't see it as important as politicians do. He believes that there is still time to act on climate change and that solutions should come from new technologies, not from bans. He also supports a business-friendly approach to the European Green Deal.
Personal Life
Friedrich Merz is married to Charlotte Merz, who is a judge. They have three children and live in Arnsberg, a town in the Sauerland region of Germany. In 2005, they started a foundation called the Friedrich und Charlotte Merz Stiftung, which helps support projects in education.
Images for kids
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Friedrich Merz in 2004
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Friedrich Merz in 2017
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Merz as chairman of the Atlantic Bridge with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter and German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen in 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Friedrich Merz para niños
