The leader of the centre-right opposition party the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was roundly criticised for the ostentatious arrival, both for flaunting his wealth and ignoring concerns over the climate crisis. Far from being chastened, however, Merz doubled down.
“The last government had to enact some changes after 16 years of CDU stagnation and that was pretty uncomfortable, so we’re going to elect the CDU again to keep everything the way it was”
Spoiler: It will not remain the way it was because the world keeps changing.
Standing still while everyone else is moving forward is called falling behind, which Germany did for 16 years with the Christians.