CDU

He is simply too ignorant, and too small-minded, to imagine a scenario in which you’re glad your country didn’t conquer all of Europe, or to understand that the avowed purpose of the CDU, over its eight decades of existence, has been to rehabilitate Germany as a modern democratic state, free of antisemitism and ultra-nationalism.

Following February's election, the AfD is the main opposition party and pounced on events as evidence of the fundamental weaknesses within a coalition made up of the centre-right CDU/CSU parties and centre-left SPD.

Also watching on from the Reichstag's visitors' gallery was Merz's old political rival from within the CDU, former chancellor Angela Merkel.

"It's our historical duty to make this government a success," said the CDU leader on Monday, as he officially signed the coalition agreement.

"I think we really need to prove that we solve the problems, not in a radical way, just in a very responsible, visible, detailed way," says Mark Helfrich, a CDU member of the Bundestag.