Who is Friedrich Merz, the man set to be the next German chancellor?

BERLIN (AP) — Conservative leader Friedrich Merz is on course to become post-World War II Germany’s 10th chancellor after finalizing a deal Wednesday to form a new government.

Merz, 69, who will succeed outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has vowed to prioritize European unity and the continent’s security as it grapples with the new Trump administration and Russia’s war on Ukraine.