Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s center-right CDU, is proving that political ambition comes at a cost—namely, his own campaign promises. As he moves to form a coalition government with the Social Democrats (SPD), it’s becoming painfully clear that his conservative pledges are being tossed aside in exchange for the chancellor’s seat.
The February 23rd election set the stage for this unexpected political maneuvering. Despite his party’s strong rhetoric against left-liberal policies, Merz and the CDU/CSU alliance have now struck a preliminary deal with the SPD to revive Germany’s infamous “grand coalition.”
One of the biggest betrayals? His stance on immigration. Before the election, Merz talked tough about closing Germany’s borders to illegal migrants. But now? That promise has vanished into thin air.
Another major flip-flop is his retreat on the controversial citizenship law passed by the previous left-leaning government. During the campaign, the CDU vowed to repeal the legislation, which dramatically shortens the timeline for migrants and asylum seekers to become German citizens—from eight years to as little as three. The law also grants automatic citizenship to children of foreign parents if at least one has lived in Germany for five years and eliminates restrictions on holding multiple nationalities.
Yet under the CDU-SPD agreement, Germany will stay an “immigration-friendly country,” and the dual citizenship law will remain intact. The only concession? A vague commitment to explore stripping citizenship from dual nationals linked to terrorism, extremism, or antisemitic activity.
For CDU supporters, this is just the latest in a series of crushing U-turns. Merz, who once warned that the naturalization law would bring “additional problems” to Germany, now finds himself endorsing the very policies he once denounced. Many within his own party had slammed the law as a dangerous incentive for even more migration—only to see their leader abandon the fight.
As Merz reshapes his party’s platform to accommodate the SPD, one thing is certain: the voters who backed him expecting conservative governance are left wondering if they’ve been duped.
