The former leader of the CDU/CSU faction, Friedrich Merz, is a defining personality of today's German politics. He is a charismatic politician full of ideas and energy, whose outspokenness and directness add a fresh touch to the German political palette. While in recent years conservative voices have typically been pushed into the background in German public life, Friedrich Merz was still able to gain great popularity among voters with his clean, civil outlook. He summarized his political proposals for the German public in his book New Times – New Responsibility, published in 2020, which can also be considered the program for his nomination for the position of CDU party chairman.