New chancellor, old constraints: Germany’s Friedrich Merz will have a hard time freeing the country from its self-imposed shackles
- Written by Mark I. Vail, Worrell Chair of Politics and International Affairs, Wake Forest University
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has had an uncertain start to his tenure.John MacDougall/AFP via Getty ImagesFriedrich Merz received a rude shock on the morning of May 6, 2025, as he prepared to lose the “in-waiting” qualifier from his title as German chancellor.
After weeks of negotiations following February’s federal election,...
