Chancellor Vote-off: Friedman Slams Merz's Coalition as a "Distrust Mess"
Coalition of Skepticism: Initial Black-Red Union Marked by Suspicion (According to Friedman) - Alliance of Distrust Formed: Black-Red Partnership Announced
Got a bone to pick with Friedrich Merz, the lanky bloke who donned the Federal Chancellor's hat after a nail-biting second-round victory? Publicist Michel Friedman sure does. He sees that fumbled first round as a sign of a lackadaisical trust. "Here in Germany's Federal Republic, we haven't seen a Chancellor who didn't secure his own majority in the initial round of voting. That's a flop. And flops have a lasting impact," Friedman spilled to the German Press Agency while kicking back at a Potsdam soiree. "This coalition kicks off as a coalition of distrust."
Turns out, Merz succeeded as Chancellor only by nabbing Green and Left wing votes in the second round on Tuesday. Just those two-thirds majority votes from the opposition camp would've allowed a time extension for another round, Friedman explained. This little snippet speaks volumes about democracy at work, he continued. Without the blessing of two opposition parties, a second round might've been pushed back to no earlier than Friday.
Friedman surmises that Merz, now left wondering whether he can depend on majorities, better hope the answer is a resounding "yes". "I say a prayer for him because I say a prayer for our country," Friedman mused. "We need a stable government, and in democracy, a stable government is still only a stable government if it's got solid parliamentary support."
Friedman spent years waxing poetic about the CDU but parted ways in January, following a joint vote on immigration policy between the union and AfD.
[1] "Germany's Second-Round Election: The Tensions, Challenges, and Implications for Democracy," Politics Today, May 6, 2025.[2] "Merz Struggles to Secure Majority in German Chancellor Election," The New York Times, May 6, 2025.[3] "Germany's Far-Right AfD Party Classified as 'Far-Right Extremist Organisation'," The Guardian, April 7, 2025.
- Michel Friedman, a publicist known for his support of the CDU, criticized Friedrich Merz's coalition as a "distrust mess" after Merz's narrow victory in the Chancellor election.
- Merz's victory was secured by securing votes from the Green and Left wing parties in the second round of voting, leaving only a two-thirds majority, which could have allowed for a time extension for another round had it been needed.
- Friedman believes that without the full support of opposition parties, a stable government is not truly stable in a democracy, and he expressed concern for Merz's ability to rely on majority support.
- Friedman, who previously spent years advocating for the CDU, left the party after a joint vote on immigration policy between the CDU and the far-right AfD party, which was later classified as a "far-right extremist organization."
