Representative of the party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, the candidate intends to reduce taxes to workers and offer help to Ukrainians
German voters go to the polls this Sunday (23.FEV.2025) to choose the new chancellor of the country. Conservative Friedrich Merz of CDU/CSU, a right-wing group formed by the Christian Democratic Union-part of former Chancellor Angela Merkel (2005-2021)-and the Social-Christian Union (Bavarian Staff Arm), appears as a favorite in the latest polls.
69, has a degree in law and political science in the cities of Bonn and Marburg. He entered CDU in 1972, still in the school period, and became president of the CDU Youth Union years later.
Merz began his career in politics in 1989, when he was elected deputy for the European Parliament. He worked for the Southwest Velália region as a member of Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg for 5 years. Then he joined the 1994 and 2009 Bundestag (German Parliament).
In 2000, he was elected president of the CDU/CSU group for the first time. Lawyer for training, Merz worked as a judge and then became a senior lawyer at Mayer Brown’s Düsseldorf’s office until the end of 2021, when he assumed the CDU presidency.
He has also held high positions in companies such as Blackrock Germany and HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt, as well as participating in the advice of Ey Germany, Borussia Dortmund and Deutsche Börse.
Government plan
Friedrich Merz defends income reduction for workers, as well as lower taxes and contributions to ensure higher wages, jobs, economic growth and improvements in social programs. The candidate also proposes the increase in transportation allowance and the payment of overtime for full -time jobs.
Germany is a country with high taxes for companies, such as Körschaftsteuer, corporate income tax charged to all national and foreign companies based in the country. Merz’s proposal for the economy is a corporate tax rate of a maximum of 25% of retained profits, the simplification of tax laws and support for free trade.
Regarding climatic and environmental protection, the Merz government plan aims to implement emissions trade, use sustainable forms and protect the environment with a focus on ensuring the quality of drinking water, mineral water, medicinal water and underground water resources , especially in regions affected by drought.
The CDU leader also has proposals for agricultural production in the country, such as the regulation of new technologies, the use of chemical-synthetic pesticides and the sustainable forest management.
The investment in Germany’s internal security is another point of Merz’s plan. He plans to maintain defense spending on 2% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), as the NTA (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). If it overcomes the election, Merz intends to renew the Armed Forces and reinforce support for Ukraine, as these in the debate of February 17. According to him, Germany “It is on the side of the Ukrainian people”.
Other suggestions of the candidate include the removal of family reunification for people with subsidiary protection, deportations of immigrants, revocation of passports to naturalized Germans convicted of crimes and reduction of asylum programs.
Relationship with Israel
Merz and CDU support Germany’s military aid to Israel amid War in Gaza and advocate the creation of 2 states as a long -term goal. During debate with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Merz still The Plan of US President Donald Trump (Republican) to reset the Palestinians of the Gaza and the coastal track in a “Middle East Riviera”.
The German state supports attempts at peace in the Middle East and advocates a 2 state solution, as well as being Israel’s largest economic partner in the European Union. Together with the economy, countries have exchanges in the scientific area. The daad (German Academic Exchange Service) Grants scholarships that allow Israeli students to conduct research in Germany.
Relations between Germany and Israel began in 1965, led by the feeling of responsibility of the German state about the genocide of millions of Jews during the Nazi regime. Since that time, Germany has become an advocate of Israel’s right to exist.
Until 2022, Germany paid about 1.44 billion euros per year to Israel. These expenses are German reparations and pension costs for the victims of the Nazi persecution.
Research
According to the, updated on Saturday (22.FEV), the Fridrich Merz party, the CDU/CSU group (Central-right Christian Democratic Union) is the favorite in the election. It has 29.4% of voting intentions, compared to 20.4% of AFD (alternative to Germany, right), led by Alice Weidel. The SDP (Social Democratic Party, Center left) of the current Olaf Scholz Premier and Robert Habec’s Green (Center left) appear with 15.4% and 13.0%, respectively.
This report was produced by the trainees of the Poder360 Mylla Marcolino and Juliana Berlinck under the supervision of editor Ighor Nóbrega.
