On the international stage, Friedrich Merz is far more decisive and noticeable than his predecessor. In domestic politics, however, approval of his government is falling. How did he do in the first 100 days as Chancellor?
The beginning of Friedrich Merz's chancellorship was hesitant. In the Bundestag elections, the far-right Alternative for Germany achieved a record result, and when it became clear that the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats would negotiate a coalition, observers called this "last chance for democracy".
A coalition agreement was reached, but a shock followed in the vote - Merz's candidacy was not approved. In the first vote, the votes from his own camp failed him. In the second vote on May 6, the leader of the CDU/CSU was nevertheless elected chancellor. And 100 days have passed since then.
Germany is back on the international stage
"Germany is back", Merz repeated many times after his election. And on the international stage, it really looks that way. Shortly after his election, the chancellor visited Ukraine together with his French counterpart Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Merz behaves as he believes a federal chancellor should behave - independently, self-confidently, proudly, commented Sabine Henkel from the ARD in this regard. This was also felt during his visit to Washington with Donald Trump. "I am extremely pleased with the visit," he commented. And the fact that Trump invited him to spend the night at his residence, Merz interpreted as a sign of recognition.
Trump did not include the European Union in his plans for a meeting with Putin in Alaska, but this did not demotivate Merz, on the contrary. He organized a preliminary video call with the American president, in which Macron, Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also participate. The message is very clear: Do not forget Europe and Germany.
Intemperance and decisions on his own
At the same time, Merz's intemperate tone has repeatedly gotten him into trouble. During Israel's attack on Iran on June 13, he stated: "Israel does the dirty work for all of us". Previously, the Chancellor has repeatedly criticized Israel's behavior and announced that he does not understand what strategy Netanyahu is pursuing in the Gaza Strip.
Merz has commented on so many foreign policy issues that his Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful remains in the shadows. In early August, he single-handedly announced that Germany would not supply Israel with any more weapons that could be used in Gaza. This decision drew criticism from within his own ranks.
Nothing can damage his self-confidence
Merz has rather left domestic political problems to his party allies like Jens Spahn, comments Sabine Henkel. Merz is mainly interested in sending signals to voters. But they are clearly not producing much effect. And this is despite the fact that the new government in Berlin has met expectations of tightening rules on migration. According to recent surveys, trust in both the government and Merz himself is falling. However, he himself has a completely different opinion of his team, calling it "one of the best governments Germany has had in decades" a few weeks ago.
Trust in Merz has been damaged. And the tough decisions are yet to come - for example, on pensions and healthcare in the country. There is little doubt that Merz will make them more as a company manager than as a politician. And unlike Merkel and Scholz, who were extremely cautious, he will probably not use the most diplomatic words to justify them.
It is also clear that nothing can damage his self-confidence, as Sabine Henkel of the ARD notes. Friedrich Merz has already decided what people should say about him at the end of his term: "Let them say I did quite well."