The 69-year-old CDU candidate is set to become chancellor at a time when Germany is going through a deep economic, security and identity crisis.

Friedrich Merz, who is set to become the new German chancellor, has vowed to prioritise European unity and the continent’s security as it grapples with the new Trump administration and Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Merz expressed concern over changing relations with Washington under the Trump administration, emphasizing the need for gradual independence from the U.S.