Friedrich Merz, a man who has never held a government role, is preparing to take the reins in Germany just as the country faces its biggest economic and diplomatic crises in decades and Europe looks urgently for a new generation of leaders for an era of transatlantic tension.

Friedrich Merz, the 69-year-old veteran German politician with a hardline stance on migration and an expensive aviation hobby, is the favorite to become the country’s next chancellor in the February 23 federal election.

Germany's opposition leader Friedrich Merz is the front-runner in the country's election campaign, with his center-right Union bloc leading polls. The 69-year-old became leader of the Christian Democratic Union after Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped down in 2021,