Friedrich Merz is a German politician, Federal Chancellor of Germany (2025 – present time), chairman of the Christian Democratic Union party (2022 – present time).
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on November 11, 1955 in the city of Brillon, Arnsberg district, in western Germany, in a family of lawyers.
From 1966 to 1971 he studied at the Petrinum Gymnasium in Brillon, and in 1975 he received a matriculation certificate at the Städtisches Gymnasium in Rüthen.
From July 1, 1975 to September 30, 1976, he served in the artillery unit of the Bundeswehr. Merz spent part of his service in Kusel, where he studied at the course of feldfebels as part of the 310th Tank Artillery Training Battalion. However, due to a knee injury, he could not complete his training as a candidate for reserve officers, and therefore completed his service with the rank of fanenjunker.
After completing his military service, Merz studied at the Faculty of Law at the Friedrich-Wilhelm University of the Rhine in Bonn from 1976 to 1982, as well as at the Philipp University in Marburg.
He was a scholarship holder of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Career
Between 1982 and 1985, Merz practiced law, in particular at the Saarbrücken Regional Court.
After passing the second state exam, he worked as a probationary judge at the Saarbrücken District Court.
From 1986 to 1989 he served as a full-time legal adviser at the German Association of the Chemical Industry (VCI).
In 1990, he joined the law firm Leinen & Derichs.
From 2002 to 2004, he worked as a lawyer at the Cologne law firm Cornelius Bartenbach Haesemann and Partner.
Political Activities
Merz joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1972, while still in school, and became a member of the party’s youth wing in Brillon.
In 1980, he headed the local branch of the Union of Youth.
Between 1989 and 1994, he represented Germany in the European Parliament.
In 1994, he was elected to the Bundestag, and in 1998 he became deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction under the leadership of Wolfgang Schäuble. After his resignation, on February 29, 2000, Merz was elected the new head of the faction.
On September 22, 2002, after the defeat of the CDU in the parliamentary elections, Merz resigned as chairman of the CDU/CSU faction. He was replaced in this position by Angela Merkel.
In February 2007, he announced that he would not run in the next parliamentary elections.
After leaving politics, Merz continued his career in the private sector: he worked as a corporate lawyer in a number of companies, served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the German branch of the investment company BlackRock, and was also a senior consultant in the Dusseldorf office of the international law firm Mayer Brown.
Return to politics
On December 7, 2018, at the CDU congress in Hamburg, Merz ran for the post of party chairman after Merkel decided not to participate in the elections. In the second round of voting, he received 48.2% and lost to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
On January 16, 2021, the politician again took part in the election of the leader of the CDU, but in the second round he lost to Armin Laschet, gaining 426 votes, while the winner – 521.
On September 26 of the same year, regular elections to the Bundestag were held, according to the results of which the CDU/CSU received the lowest result in its history – 24.1%. Despite this, Merz again became a deputy.
On December 17, Merz was elected chairman of the CDU in a direct vote of party members. He won more than 62.1% of the vote and won in the first round.
On February 15, 2022, he was also re-elected chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction in the Bundestag.
On June 9, 2024, the CDU won the elections to the European Parliament, gaining 30% of the vote. In September of the same year, Merz was nominated as the only candidate from the CDU/CSU for the post of Federal Chancellor in the upcoming elections.
On February 23, 2025, early parliamentary elections were held in Germany, in which the CDU/CSU won, and the Social Democratic Party was defeated.
On May 6, 2025, the Bundestag elected Merz as Federal Chancellor of Germany.
Marital Status
Friedrich Merz has been married since 1981 to Charlotte Merz, who works as a district judge in Arnsberg.
The couple has three children – a son and two daughters.
