The Man Who Would Remake Europe
AtlanticFEB 25
Germany: Merz Seals Deal with SPD to Form Ruling Coalition
Above: Friedrich Merz (L) and SPD head Lars Klingbeil during a press conference after successful coalition negotiations in Berlin, Germany, on April 9, 2025. Image copyright: Emmanuele Contini/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Germany's new coalition marks a turning point, promising strength, reform, and renewed global relevance. With his clear-eyed realism and unyielding resolve, Merz is the leader to steer Europe's largest economy through turbulent times. His bold commitment to defense, economic revitalization, and European autonomy signals a confident break from paralysis, offering Germany—and Europe—a leader unafraid to confront hard truths and restore stability at home and strength abroad.
Right narrative
Merz's coalition with the battered SPD is a profound setback for Germany. In ceding key policies and abandoning fiscal discipline, he has betrayed center-right voters and hollowed out his party's identity. This capitulation empowers a rejected SPD and leaves conservatives politically homeless, fuelling disillusionment and feeding the rise of extremism. At a time of grave economic and security challenges, Germany needed resolute leadership; instead, it gets compromise masquerading as a strategy—a gift to its radical fringes.