Shift in rhetoric. - Merz unveils his blueprint for the chancellorship.
Friedrich Merz, during an interview with the British "Financial Times," mentioned that as the election date draws nearer, voters perceive him less as the opposition leader and more as a potential chancellor.
As a result, there will be a reduction in the number of sharp political attacks previously made.
Merz has made controversial remarks since becoming CDU's federal chairman and head of the Bundestag's parliamentary group, such as criticizing migration policies. In September, he stated, "People go crazy when they see that 300,000 asylum seekers who were denied and haven't left the country are receiving full benefits. At the doctor's, they have their teeth done, and German citizens can't get appointments." This drew severe criticism.
Reflecting upon these statements, Merz expressed in the "Financial Times" that as the opposition leader, one ought to be allowed to challenge boundaries. He believes his comments at the time brought attention to the welfare issue for migrants and resulted in the government taking necessary action. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (65, SPD) also advocated for stricter measures against illegal migration soon after Merz's remarks.
Merz faced controversy once again on the "Markus Lanz" talk show. He referred to migrant children as "little pashas," criticized "social tourism" among Ukrainians who fled to Germany, and added that they were visiting their homeland.
Friedrich Merz's re-election as CDU's party leader last week with 90% of the votes seems to have solidified his chances of being the Union's prime candidate for the chancellor in the 2025 federal elections. Despite his moderate popularity ratings among the general population, he expressed confidence in this, citing that the opposition leader's approval rating higher than the incumbent chancellor is only common when a party has ruled for a long time in Germany.
However, Merz also lamented the misconstrued perception of him that has lingered for years and was attributed to both intra-party and extra-party adversaries. He referred to this phase as "Years of Merz Bashing."
Read also:
Source: symclub.org
