 "German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz poses for a selfie with a supporter after his bloc was declared winner in the elections. Reuters")
Germany has spoken: the party once led by Angela Merkel has won the elections, securing 28.5 per cent of the total vote, followed by the far-right AfD at 20 per cent.
However, if you think Germany will return to the Merkel era, think again. The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) bloc, Friedrich Merz, is set to take the reins of the European Union’s largest economy. While it is unclear what his government may now look like, one thing is certain: Merz’s idea for Germany is vastly different from his predecessors — Olaf Scholz as well as Angela Merkel. In fact, as Lisa Haseldine, wrote in a Telegraph column, “It falls to Merz to put the final nails in the coffin of Angela Merkel’s legacy.”
We take a closer look at what a Merz win means not only for Germany but also for Europe and the world at large.
Merz’s battle on migration
One of the biggest challenges awaiting Merz is the issue of immigration in Germany. There’s a strong perception in Germany as well as Europe that its borders are not secure, which has driven many voters to extreme parties.
And Merz has vowed to be tough on immigrants, in a complete reversal of Merkel’s ‘Wir schaffen das’ pledge to take in refugees. He has said that his first job as chancellor would be to close the country’s borders to undocumented migrants.
He has carved out a five-point migration plan, committing to a tightening of Germany’s migration and asylum law, even if this would be in violation of both German and EU asylum law (as well as the UN Geneva Convention).
In fact, in January, he proposed a non-binding resolution in the German Parliament to turn back more asylum seekers at the borders. It passed but with the backing of the AfD . That shattered a seemingly impenetrable “firewall” policy that had seen parties refuse to work with the far right for decades.
Parliament narrowly rejected Merz’s binding version of the migration bill but shocked opposition leaders accused him in impassioned speeches of breaking the firewall. Even Merkel, the former chancellor who had otherwise been absent from politics, condemned her fellow CDU colleague.
It is to be seen what he now plans to do as chancellor of Germany on the issue of immigration. However, if his campaign is an indicator of things to come — it doesn’t bode well for refugees and migrants.
Independence from Trump’s America, strengthening Europe
Two days before Germany went to the polls, Merz told the German media, “We must prepare for the possibility that Donald Trump will no longer uphold Nato’s mutual defence commitment unconditionally.
“We need to have discussions with both the British and the French — the two European nuclear powers — about whether nuclear sharing, or at least nuclear security from the UK and France, could also apply to us.”
“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting said. “I never thought I would have to say something like this on a television programme. But after Donald Trump’s statements last week at the latest, it is clear that the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.”
These statements show that Merz is ready to take up the mantle of European leadership, which Germany has been unable to provide in recent months.
And to ensure this, he has already promised big, sweeping policies to boost Germany’s defence industry. In fact, Merz said that he is open to considering common European Union borrowing for defence.
When asked, he responded, “I’m open to have any debate on resources, but I’m not willing to accept that we only speak about money.”
A boost for Ukraine
Merz has long been a staunch supporter of Ukraine and his win would buoy Kyiv’s hopes. He has vowed continued support to Kyiv in its fight against Russia, adding that he would like to provide the war-torn country with long-range Taurus cruise missiles. This is in direct contrast to his predecessor, Olaf Scholz.
It also seems that Merz is more open to the idea of sending German troops to Ukraine as part of a deterrent or peacekeeping force, a discussion Scholz described as “ completely premature”.
Additionally, he would likely allow the Ukrainian military to fire at targets deep inside Russian territory.
Some experts note that Merz will certainly have a tougher approach than Scholz when it comes to Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin.
Merz’s U-turn on nuclear energy
In recent years, Germany has been focused on renewable energy, shutting down nuclear reactors and scrambling to secure gas supplies from abroad to replace Russian imports.
However, Merz has warmed up to nuclear power. While it is unlikely that the country will revive its shuttered reactors, a softer stance on nuclear energy would aid pro-nuclear countries convince Brussels to treat atomic energy more like renewables.
Moreover, Merz has also said he wants to repeal Germany’s Building Energy Law, which aims to accelerate clean heating installation — offering a potential signal to green sceptics in Europe.
Many also note that a Merz win is a setback to the climate change battle. His government is expected to place less importance on climate change. In fact, Merz, on the campaign trail, had expressed concern over the impact of climate policy on business. He has vowed to put economic growth above all concerns and even called for a rollback on several EU green regulations.
Blow to cannabis movement
A win for Merz in Germany will also hurt the cannabis movement in the country. He has pledged to reverse the 2024 policy, which partially decriminalised possession of the drug. He has blamed the new policy that allows adults to hold up to 25 grammes of cannabis in public and grow three plants per household for the rise in drug-related crime.
We will have to wait and watch as to how Merz’s chancellory plays out, but one thing is certain: Merkelism is dead and gone.
With inputs from agencies