Friedrich Merz, the man expected to become Germany's next chancellor, has vowed to rule Europe's top economy by returning to his Christian Democrats' conservative roots, help business and crack down

Friedrich Merz, a man who has never held a government role, is preparing to take the reins in Germany just as the country faces its biggest economic and diplomatic crises in decades and Europe looks urgently for a new generation of leaders for an era of transatlantic tension.

The voting begins in the high-stakes election in Germany. Recent surveys give an edge to Merz compared to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats