Previously, he risked more moderate parts of the electorate, voting in the 1990s against the bill, which included criminalization of marriage rape.
He later explained that he considered marriage rape already a crime, and it was other issues in the bill.
Polls believe that it is not particularly popular with young people and women – but Klaus -Pieter Wilsh thinks that the picture depicted from it in German media is unfair.
“I had several times in my constituency,” he tells me. “After that, women come up and say he is a good guy.”
Charlotte Merz also came to his defense, saying Westfalenpost: “What some people write about the image of my husband’s women, just not true.”
She says their marriage was mutual support: “We both took care of each other’s work and shared their care in a way that it was compatible with our professional commitments.”
Its popularity will be conducted on the test when the elections are approaching, as well as the speculation focus less on whether they will win, and more with whom they can create a coalition.
Some observers are afraid of trust among potential coalition partners, have been damaged by an experimental Merza approach to silent cooperation with the AFD – the party he insists.
Regardless of criticism, one EU diplomat told me that Brussels “look forward to his arrival.”
“Time to move from this German impasse and make this engine run.”
