Germany's conservative opposition leader and possible next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said further discussions on policy must wait until after a confidence vote is held on Dec. 16, following the collapse of incumbent Olaf Scholz's coalition.

The leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) Friedrich Merz said he could be open to reforming the debt brake, which limits public deficit to 0.35% of gross domestic product, in certain circumstances.

The collapse of Germany’s ’traffic light’ coalition government headed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz has thrown the focus on opposition leader Friedrich Merz. The 68-year-old, who leads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU),

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz launched his election bid with a stinging attack on Chancellor Olaf Scholz, calling the Social Democrat a “lightweight” and accusing him of sowing division in Europe’s biggest economy.

One option is to suspend the debt brake citing special circumstances. Germany reimposed the debt brake in 2024 after four years in which it was suspended to allow extra spending due to the coronavirus pandemic and the energy crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Conservative chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz said he’s open to reform Germany’s strict borrowing limits as long as additional debt-financed spending is used for investment.

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday he was open to reforming the country's constitutional brake on government spending. Merz, widely seen as the favourite to succeed Chancellor Olaf Scholz after next year's parliamentary elections,