Merz’s Ambitions for Germany Crash Into a World Upended by Trump

A year since taking office, Germany’s chancellor is struggling to fill the role he long dreamed of attaining

Lars Klingbeil and Friedrich Merz in Berlin in March.Photographer: Christoph Soeder/picture alliance/Getty Images

Friedrich Merz took to the podium at the Chancellery in Berlin last week to announce the first installment of a comprehensive overhaul of Germany’s social system that he hopes will demonstrate his vision to move the country forward.

Instead, he faced questions about how much longer his coalition will last.