Who is Friedrich Merz, the conservative set to become Germany's next chancellor

Open this photo in gallery: German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union party leader Friedrich Merz reacts after the exit poll results are announced for the 2025 general election, in Berlin, on Feb. 23.Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters 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. Merz's conservatives came first in Germany's national election on Sunday, according to projected results, well…