"Even before Merz had officially been made chancellor, he managed to rally support for a massive €500bn ($547bn; £420bn) defence infrastructure fund, with his straight-talking style and focus on European security earning him plaudits on the world stage.
But it took him three attempts to become CDU leader and he then lost an initial vote to become chancellor despite technically having sufficient votes through a coalition deal with the SPD."
Framing: mixed ·
First seen: 2026-09-16 ·
Last seen: 2026-09-16 ·
Spread: 1 articles
The Aporia