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Merz's Domestic Stumbles Show His Power Base Is Under Strain

Merz's Domestic Stumbles Show His Power Base Is Under Strain

Bloomberg6 hours ago
Chancellor Friedrich Merz spent the first weeks of his tenure bolstering Germany's standing on the global stage, but domestically he's stumbled, casting doubt on his ability to implement economic reforms.
The latest blow was the failure to elect three new judges to Germany's top court. Votes in the lower house of parliament — which should have been procedural since the ruling parties agreed on the justices in advance — were pulled at the last minute on Friday after it became clear that Merz's conservatives weren't going to fully support a candidate proposed by the co-ruling Social Democrats.
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