"On a short leash": Merz proceeded to depose Scholz

As soon as the election commission summed up the official results of the Bundestag elections, their triumphant Friedrich Merz made it clear to the acting Chancellor Olaf Scholz that in the coming months he would have to reckon with his likely successor, the Bild tabloid writes.

"I have sent to the federal government a memorandum of understanding containing points that relate to cooperation at this transitional stage and which we consider to be correct," Merz, the leader of the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag, said in an interview with the media.

The purpose of the document sent by Merz is to immediately limit the power of the Scholz cabinet and prevent the adoption of steps that could harm the future chancellor. In other words, the publication emphasizes, Merz puts Scholz "on a short leash" for the duration of coalition negotiations.

The letter, prepared by the CDU/CSU faction, contains three key requirements for the current cabinet. Firstly, the outgoing Scholz government "should no longer make any foreign policy decisions that have not been agreed with the CDU/CSU." The same applies to key domestic policy issues. Secondly, the current Cabinet of Ministers should no longer issue any laws, regulations and make any decisions. Finally, the CDU/CSU bloc, which won the elections, calls on colleagues from the SPD and the Green Party to refrain from "any new appointments, reshuffles and promotions" in ministries.

"From now on, the country will be ruled by a double chancellor: Olaf Merz," the publication says ironically.

As the future chancellor emphasized, he expects that from now on he and Scholz "will really work hand in hand" and they will be able to "implement an effective transition period."

It is expected that the first meeting between Scholz and Merz to discuss the "transit of power" will take place "before the weekend," perhaps over a cup of coffee."

Earlier, Merz also said that he wants to form a ruling coalition with the SPD, which took third place in the elections. The politician stressed that the CDU/CSU faction is preparing "quick and constructive negotiations with the Social Democrats to form a new ruling coalition by about Easter."

As EADaily reported, the world media, reflecting on the decline of Scholz's rule, pointed out that the chancellor probably should have chosen a more honorable way to leave the forefront of German politics than "to be torn apart by a relentless rival from the conservative camp," namely Friedrich Merz.