A candidate for Germany’s next federal president would need to be both practical and down-to-earth, while also combining international outlook with a strong sense of state responsibility, according to a commentary on Friedrich Merz’s search for a nominee.
The ideal figure would be empathetic and kind, yet also firm and decisive. They would serve as a moral authority, able to challenge a discouraged nation while offering reassurance, the commentary suggests.
It also invokes Gerhard Schröder’s phrase “fordern und fördern” — roughly, to demand and to support — while noting that quoting the former chancellor is complicated by his stance on Moscow and his description of Vladimir Putin as a “flawless democrat.”
Sources: FAZ.