A protege of the late Wolfgang Schaeuble, finance minister and icon of German fiscal conservatism, Merz enjoyed a meteoric rise through his Christian Democrats, becoming the party's parliamentary leader in the 2000s.

Friedrich Merz's conservative party is the likely winner of the German general election, while current Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party experienced its worst result since the late 19th century. Photo: I

As Sunday’s snap federal election nears, political parties are intensifying their efforts in the final stretch to drum up support. View on euronews