Who is Friedrich Merz, the man most likely to lead Germany?

An unprecedented alliance with the far right, cold shouldering Angela Merkel, and a strong line on leading in Europe

The first thing you need to know about Merz is that he and former chancellor Angela Merkel were longstanding rivals and sparring partners. Photo: AP/Markus Schreiber

With the social democrat Olaf Scholz conceding defeat to the centre right in Germany’s election, the man most likely to be named the next chancellor will be Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz.

The CDU has emerged as the largest party with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) second — its best-ever result in a federal election.