Germany's largest opposition party, the @CDU, has seen its fortunes rise again lately. But, with the shadow of Angela Merkel still hanging over it, what is the conservative party's plan to return to power? [_link]

— DW News (@dwnews) September 9, 2022

Friedrich Merz has been a critic of Angela Merkel for years. He opposed her as party leader from the beginning, at the time raising questions about whether a woman was up for the job. She proved him wrong, became party leader and ousted him as leader of the CDU parliamentary group in 2002.

In the early 2000s, he came under fire for several statements, including one over Berlin's then mayor who was gay. "As long as he doesn't get too close to me, I don't care," Merz said at the time.

'Sapere aude'