German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Faces Crucial G7 Summit and NATO Meeting
As the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, prepares to attend the G7 summit in Canada, the CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion’s external affairs spokesperson, Jürgen Hardt, views the event as a significant challenge for the leader.
Within the first few weeks of his tenure, Merz is set to face three major summits, including the G7, the European Council and the NATO summit in June, Hardt noted in an interview with RTL and ntv. “It will undoubtedly be a test of what the future defense capabilities of Europe will look like” he added.
Hardt described the upcoming G7 summit as a “trial by fire” for the German Chancellor, but praised Merz’s performance over the past six weeks, saying it was “noteworthy.” The question of whether Merz is “world-politically capable” is more likely to be raised by Germans rather than his international counterparts, according to Hardt.