This had to be an unwelcome surprise for the Master of the Old Magoo.
Friedrich Merz has spent his whole life massaging the various super-sized egos along the path of his political career, fawning at the feet of such Christian Democrat (CDU) luminaries as Angela Merkel, to reach the pinnacle of German political power – the chancellorship.
Here he was, the victor in this past February’s elections. By dint of reneging on every single campaign promise made to tentative Germans who had trusted their votes to him and his party (thanks to lingering guilt over agreeing with the populist Alternativ for Germany (AfD)) and his skillful machinations during a month left with outgoing Bundestag members, had now cobbled himself together a coalition to rule with.
There was only one step left to tie his triumph into a bow – have the newly installed Bundestag members vote to…
