Germany's New Government Is Scarier Than You Think

Friedrich Merz’s new government marks a shift towards ideological conservatism, with some of its key ministers setting the stage for a more authoritarian direction. Here’s what you need to know.

Germany has a new government. Friedrich Merz was just confirmed as the country’s 10th postwar chancellor – though only narrowly. The confirmation followed an embarrassing first-round failure in the Bundestag; nearly 20 coalition MPs withheld their votes in a secret ballot. Merz – a former lobbyist and the CDU’s right-wing counterpoint to Angela Merkel’s…