Tommy Vitor

Yeah, so just to set it up a little bit, Mertz is an interesting character. He has been in and out of politics for decades. He was in the European Parliament, served in the Bundestag for about 15 years, and left politics in 2009 to go make a shit ton of money in corporate law and business.

He and Merkel, Angela Merkel, the former chancellor, were political rivals, which for a very long time was not a good thing for him because she was like, you know, all consuming political figure. He describes himself as socially conservative, economically liberal.

He and Merkel, Angela Merkel, the former chancellor, were political rivals, which for a very long time was not a good thing for him because she was like, you know, all consuming political figure. He describes himself as socially conservative, economically liberal.

He and Merkel, Angela Merkel, the former chancellor, were political rivals, which for a very long time was not a good thing for him because she was like, you know, all consuming political figure. He describes himself as socially conservative, economically liberal.

He's a big supporter of the transatlantic alliance with the U.S., which is what made these election night comments by Merck's so surprising. Here's a clip.

He's a big supporter of the transatlantic alliance with the U.S., which is what made these election night comments by Merck's so surprising. Here's a clip.

He's a big supporter of the transatlantic alliance with the U.S., which is what made these election night comments by Merck's so surprising. Here's a clip.

But yeah, in the first term, Trump's first term, I think Europe took kind of like a wait and see approach. I don't know if that's because they were just, you know, biding their time or because, you know, like the Committee to Save America, the Jim Mattis's of the world were kind of whispering reassurances to them at the sidelines of the conference. Now they are just moving on.

But yeah, in the first term, Trump's first term, I think Europe took kind of like a wait and see approach. I don't know if that's because they were just, you know, biding their time or because, you know, like the Committee to Save America, the Jim Mattis's of the world were kind of whispering reassurances to them at the sidelines of the conference. Now they are just moving on.

But yeah, in the first term, Trump's first term, I think Europe took kind of like a wait and see approach. I don't know if that's because they were just, you know, biding their time or because, you know, like the Committee to Save America, the Jim Mattis's of the world were kind of whispering reassurances to them at the sidelines of the conference. Now they are just moving on.

No.

No.

No.

That's become a big conversation.

That's become a big conversation.

That's become a big conversation.

Yeah. I mean, I think the biggest, you know, challenge, obviously the biggest challenge for Mertz going forward is going to be economic growth. Germany is kind of stagnated over the last several years. People are pissed. Energy costs went up in part because of the Russian invasion.

Yeah. I mean, I think the biggest, you know, challenge, obviously the biggest challenge for Mertz going forward is going to be economic growth. Germany is kind of stagnated over the last several years. People are pissed. Energy costs went up in part because of the Russian invasion.

Yeah. I mean, I think the biggest, you know, challenge, obviously the biggest challenge for Mertz going forward is going to be economic growth. Germany is kind of stagnated over the last several years. People are pissed. Energy costs went up in part because of the Russian invasion.

They also have to figure out an immigration policy that can defang the AFD in the right wing and make people feel heard without emulating them. Or as you said earlier, alienating parts of the Social Democratic Coalition in a way that fractures the government. And like coalition governments are great insofar as they force you to.