Millionaire, Pilot and Perfects: The candidate expected to be the next German Chancellor

His political world bought Friedrich March more than 20 years ago, when he presented in a speech to the conservative party members his economic plan. If I was responsible, he said in 2003, I would simplify the entire German tax system, so the annual tax statement would have entered the bottom of a glass of beer. In Germany, a state that admires strict detail, tangled rules, multiple formulas and lots of sections, March’s idea of ​​people watched people their heads.

But promises alone were not enough. A few years later, March lost to the party’s head (CDU) – which is considered the “Chancellor Party,” from which most German prime ministers have come out since 1949 – a relatively anonymous politician named Angela Merkel. He was pushed from the party’s ranks, could not bear the shame, said Merkel was unworthy, and retired to do his home. In practice, there has always been the ambition to return to the meteoric political route there was.

Therefore, March stood to the race just as soon as Merkel announced she would retire. He ran for party leadership in 2018 and lost, but did not hesitate to run again in 2021, just to lose a politician who swore to continue Merkel’s mainstream policy. But then, after the election, when it became clear that Merkel’s way, Armin Lasht, failed, and the conservative party was pushed to the opposition and searched for a Savior, March again. For the third time it happened, he became the party’s head.

Standing next to Israel

March is far from being Merkel. He has a shorter thread, believes he knows better than everyone else. He was saved in business time to earn millions of dollars, among other things, as chairman of Balkkrock Germany. Which is part of the German middle class.

Regarding Israel, by the way, there are not many doubts about March’s commitment. He was clear and stood by her side since October 7, 2023. He also criticized the arrest orders issued by the International Criminal Court in Hague. In an interview he gave to a German Jewish newspaper before the election, he said he would make sure that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “can visit Germany without fear of detention.” In a country that dedicates international law, its words are unusual. His party, the CDU, pledged its platform to continue to support the existence of the State of Israel, as one of the “existence parties” of the German Federal Republic.

The big challenge

His vast challenge, if he manages to establish a coalition, will be how to navigate the largest economy in Europe to cross the crisis. Germany is currently 6% under its historic GDP route. It has been in a deep crisis, the result of high energy prices due to the end of the cheap Russian gas, decline in the car market and especially in the Chinese market, inability to regenerate and the inquiry of the infrastructure. He abandoned the proposal A tax reform that will fit the bottom of a beer, and instead guarantees raising retirement age and making moderate reform in corporate taxation.

Only for the sake of establishing a government, March will have to compromise – which will give him agony. He was able to send in colleagues such as Liberal Party Christian Lindner, the dust of the dust and the head of Social Democrats Schultz. After the election, he will have to choose one of them at least to set up a coalition. Chances are that it will refer to Social Democrats, after they replace power and Schulz will turn the way.

Another challenge will be to deal with the illegal immigration, and with the insecurity that many Germans feel following the plurality of attacks and overprices by asylum seekers and refugees. March announced about a month ago that he was “breaking the tools,” and initiated a series of extreme reforms against immigration, just to fail the outcome test. He criticized that he “surrendered” to “alternative to Germany,” and also suffered a humiliation when he failed to realize the way he promised. One of his major tests will be in this field, especially in light of the need to compromise on coalition needs.

And so, 20 years after he presented a vision, the biggest promise that was not realized in German politics may accept power. On the way there, he may have to set up a wide coalition, as his archety-opponent did, which retired to the beach and launches of books.