The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

CDU leader Friedrich Merz: wife, children, wealth and career - that is known about him

2022-01-22T07:32:34.697Z


CDU leader Friedrich Merz: wife, children, wealth and career - that is known about him Created: 2021-01-14Updated: 2022-01-22 08:19 Friedrich Merz during his application speech at the CDU party conference. © dpa / Kay Nietfeld With Merz, the CDU elects the third chairman after Kramp-Karrenbauer and Laschet within a good three years. You can find his CV here: an overview of his wife, children an


CDU leader Friedrich Merz: wife, children, wealth and career - that is known about him

Created: 2021-01-14Updated: 2022-01-22 08:19

Friedrich Merz during his application speech at the CDU party conference.

© dpa / Kay Nietfeld

With Merz, the CDU elects the third chairman after Kramp-Karrenbauer and Laschet within a good three years.

You can find his CV here: an overview of his wife, children and career.

  • In the CDU, many party members have hopes for Friedrich Merz.

  • Merz can look back on a long and successful career in the CDU.

  • Friedrich Merz is to be elected the new CDU leader at a digital party conference on January 22, 2022

Berlin – Friedrich Merz

failed

to seize power in the CDU in the previous two attempts.

On January 22, 2022, the CDU will elect the third chairman in just over three years after Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Armin Laschet.

Merz should create the start in the opposition.

Friedrich Merz already reached for the CDU party chairmanship in 2018

Friedrich Merz returned to the political stage in 2018 after Angela Merkel was significantly weakened as party leader. After the two defeats for the Union in the state elections in Bavaria and Hesse in 2018, many saw Angela Merkel's resignation from the post of CDU chairwoman as a logical consequence. At the CDU party conference in December 2018, Friedrich Merz was among the applicants - his grip on the party chairmanship came after a long absence from the political arena.

In his

application speech

for the

CDU presidency

, Merz had called for a renewal of the party. "A signal of departure and renewal of our party must go out from this party conference," said Merz at the CDU party conference in

Hamburg

. A "change of strategy" is needed when dealing with issues, in dealing with political competitors and in communicating with citizens.

While the popular parties are becoming less popular, the populists from left and right are "always louder and more and more successful," said Merz.

The AfD now sits in the Bundestag and all 16 state parliaments, while the

CDU is also losing many voters to the Greens

.

This condition is "simply unbearable" for him, said the former Union faction leader.

A political earthquake had to precede the renewed grip on the CDU presidency in 2020.

Friedrich Merz and the CDU - career in the party

Friedrich Merz's political career began in 1989, when he was elected to the

European

Parliament. He was then a

member of the German Bundestag

until 2009

. During this time he has already gained experience as a parliamentary group leader - from 2000 he held this office. However, he was replaced two years later. His successor: Angela Merkel. She had

claimed  the

leadership of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group after the 2002 federal election and thus forced Merz out of office.

At first, Friedrich Merz was the

deputy party leader

of the CDU.

However, he resigned from this position in 2004.

In 2007, he finally announced that he would

no longer stand as a candidate in the

2009 federal election.

Shortly thereafter, he confirmed that he wanted to take a break from politics.

As a member of the 

CDU party commission “Strengthening cohesion – shaping the future of civil society”,

he held an office in the CDU from 2014 for the first time in ten years. 

Friedrich Merz and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer fought for the CDU party leadership in 2018.

© dpa / Wolfgang Kumm

In business, Merz works for Blackrock, AXA and Deutsche Börse

During his five-year break from politics, Friedrich Merz devoted himself to activities in the private sector.

The qualified lawyer was a member of various supervisory boards, including those of

Deutsche Börse

and

AXA Konzern AG

.

Since 2016, he has also sat on the board of directors for

Blackrock

, the world's largest asset manager .

However, Friedrich Merz was also criticized for his activities in the economic sector.

For example, the anti-corruption organization Transparency pointed out that the 62-year-old was on the supervisory board of the private bank

HSBC Germany

when it was involved in so-called

cum-ex transactions

.

His close connection to business was also seen by some politicians as a conflict of interest in connection with his candidacy for the CDU party chairmanship as the successor to Angela Merkel.

Merz already announced when he tried to become party chairman that he would resign from all his supervisory board mandates if he were elected party chairman.

Friedrich Merz' salary: With 1 million only "middle class"?

The political returnee Friedrich Merz had long made a secret of how much money he earned a year.

In the end, he revealed the secret himself – in an interview with

Bild am Sonntag

.

"Today I earn around

one million euros gross

." Merz still does not count himself among the

upper class

.

One of several arguments he cites: “When I hear 'upper class' or 'upper class', I think of people who have inherited a lot of money or a company and are enjoying their lives with it.

That's not the case for me." (Read more about Merz's annual income in this article.)

These are the topics of the politician Friedrich Merz

During his time as a member of the Bundestag, Friedrich Merz established himself as a

representative of conservative and business-oriented politics

. He is also known for coining the term “

German Leitkultur

”. During his time as a member of the Bundestag, he also called for a simplification of the tax system and for the restriction of social benefits. Friedrich Merz also warned against an energy transition that was too rapid. In 2010 he was one of the most prominent supporters of the "Energy Policy Appeal", which was intended, among other things, to advance the lifespan extension for nuclear power plants. 

Despite his conservative attitudes, he is critical of right-wing populism.

This was reflected in his rejection of the Ludwig Erhard Prize.

He didn't want to be on the same stage as Roland Tichy, the chairman of the foundation.

Tichy's journalistic activities are often viewed as right-wing populist.

Although he has different views on some issues, Friedrich Merz, according to his own statement, did not want to completely oppose Angela Merkel's politics when he returned to politics.

Merkel was also open to Merz's candidacy.

Although people don't always agree, solutions have always been found in previous collaborations, she said. 

Curriculum vitae: Friedrich Merz's childhood, youth and education

Friedrich Merz was practically born with membership in the CDU. His father was already a member of the CDU. Merz comes from a conservative and

Catholic

household and was born in

Brilon in North Rhine-Westphalia

. His mother is of French origin - his

grandfather Josef Paul Sauvigny

was the mayor of Brilon until 1937. 

Just like his father, Friedrich Merz studied after high school

Jura

- first in

Bonn

and later in

Marburg

.

Before his career in politics, he worked, among other things, as a

judge at the district court of Saarbrücken

and also worked as a

lawyer

in the international

law firm Mayer Brown LLP

during his political sabbatical until 2014

.

Friedrich Merz has three children with his wife Charlotte Merz

He has been married to his

wife Charlotte Merz

since 1981

.

His wife is also a lawyer and director of the district court in Arnsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, where they both live.

The couple has

three children

who are now grown. 

Merz has good chances of the CDU presidency

When he ran for party chairmanship in 2018, Friedrich Merz's candidacy was welcomed by many politicians.

Among other things, the CDU member of the Bundestag and head of the parliamentary group for medium-sized companies, Christian von Stetten, said that Merz was the "banger" that the CDU needed now.

Former member of the Bundestag Wolfgang Bosbach also spoke out in favor of Friedrich Merz as Merkel's successor.

After being narrowly defeated by Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, he initially put his ambitions for the party presidency on hold.

The aftermath of the state elections in Thuringia then suddenly changed everything.

Before the 2019 party conference in Leipzig, March also promised AKK and Chancellor Angela Merkel his support - although there were also statements that raised doubts.

Only after the announcement of the AKK's resignation did Friedrich Merz go back to applying for the party chairmanship.

The CDU and FDP had previously experienced a disaster in Thuringia.

Together with the AfD, they brought a prime minister into office - and almost immediately had to distance themselves from this decision.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer drew consequences and thus paved the way for the candidacies of Friedrich Merz, Armin Laschet*, and Norbert Röttgen* at the CDU party conference in January 2021*.

*Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network (sch)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-01-22

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.