New German opposition leader Merz consolidates his power
ABC News
The new leader of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right party has been elected as head of the main opposition bloc’s parliamentary group
BERLIN -- The new leader of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right party was elected Tuesday as head of the main opposition bloc's parliamentary group, consolidating his power as he tries to get the party back into shape after a disastrous election result.
Friedrich Merz replaced Ralph Brinkhaus as head of the Union bloc's parliamentary group, the most prominent job the party has in opposition.
It's a job that the 66-year-old held two decades ago, also in opposition. Merz is a one-time rival and longtime critic of Merkel, and has a more conservative image than the former leader.
He led the center-right group in parliament from 2000 to 2002, when Merkel pushed him out of that job. He left parliament in 2009, later practicing as a lawyer and heading the supervisory board of investment manager BlackRock’s German branch.
