Germany German former Chancellor Merkel: Merz has an absolute will to power
One day after the presentation of the coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD, Germany's former Chancellor Angela Merkel attests to the likely future Chancellor and CDU party colleague Friedrich Merz's "absolute will to power".
10.04.2025, 13:56
10.04.2025, 13:57
SDA
"What stood between us a little was simply the fact, which happens quite often in life, that we both wanted to be leader," Merkel said on Deutschlandfunk Kultur. However, Merz's will had shown and he had now seized the chance and the opportunity.
Merkel jokingly referred to herself and Merz as a "dream team" when shown a photo of the two of them together during Merkel's election as CDU party leader in 2000. "I'm about a year older than him and you could almost say we were a good vintage, because we last a long time," Merkel joked.
The Merz-Merkel relationship was strained for a long time after the then CDU leader ousted him as parliamentary group leader after the 2002 federal election. At a CDU celebration to mark her 70th birthday in late summer, however, the two were recently on extremely friendly terms. On the evening of the election on February 23, Merkel congratulated the CDU leader by text message on the Christian Democrats' election victory.
