Thursday, November 1, 2018

An Introduction to Friedrich Merz

There are four individuals in the running for CDU Party chief, since Chancellor Merkel is giving up that post.  The outsider of the group......who has a rougher time of it, is Friedrich Merz.  But it's worth reviewing his record and resume.

Merz is a lawyer by trade, and in his early 60s.  In 1989, he took a five-year trip over to the EU as a German representative.  For about fifteen years (1994-2009), he was a member of the German Bundestag, and well noted for financial knowledge. 

His peak period....around the 2004-era.  Under Merkel....he had topped out.  In 2009, he found a job with Blackrock....a US investment company, and served on at least ten different boards in the business world. 

The three key points which might draw interest?

1. He has made public statements against a quick-dump strategy of nuclear power....suggesting that if you went too fast, you would saddle the public with significant costs.

2.  For almost twenty years, he's hinted that if you came to Germany as a Muslim, you had to accept German customs and culture.

3.  The beer-mat idea.  He actually said that taxation is too complicated and that a German ought to be able to estimate their taxes off the little cardboard four inch by four inch beer mat that you use at local pub.  Some German are fascinated by that suggestion.....believing simplicity ought to exist with taxes.

A Trump-like character?  No....but he does believe in a number of things which Chancellor Merkel is opposed to.  Of the four individuals running for the party chief's job.....he is the one individual at the end of the spectrum compared to Merkel. 

The negative?  He's made money and seen as wealthy. 

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