Merz advocates for increased recognition of performances and encourages meticulousness.
Union's potential Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, advocates for a shift in mindset towards financial success. Speaking with "Bild am Sonntag", he said, "I'd like to alter our way of thinking a bit." He believes that financial success, being a part of it, is acceptable to showcase, without the need for boasting. This, he suggests, can inspire and motivate others, with a message of "Do the same."
Merz voices his worry about the attitudes of some individuals towards work. When viewed as an "unpleasant intrusion into our free time", it results in "a substantial decline in prosperity".
Merz reminisced proudly about his past million-dollar earnings in the free market: "I'm content with it, it didn't just drop from the sky, I earned it," he stated, and added, "I might have worked more than eight hours a day. I enjoyed it, and I was fortunate." He clarified that his return to politics wasn't driven by money: "I wouldn't have come back otherwise."
A Million Euros Annually
Following his departure from politics in 2009, Merz amassed a fortune in the business world, serving as the head of Blackrock's German division among other ventures. His annual income approximated one million euros in 2018. He parted ways from his posts at Blackrock and other business-related roles in 2020.
In an interview with "Bild am Sonntag", Merz raised the possibility of citizens working more hours in the future. "Why do we work fewer hours today with 45 million employed individuals, compared to 30 years ago when there were seven million fewer employed people?" For Merz, work can be "a component of our personal fulfillment, a part of our self-realization."
Merz cites the U.S. as an example of handling work and prosperity effectively. He wishes for Germany to be "a nation - and I've always admired this in America - that doesn't demean success, but rather says: Let's learn from this example."
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The CDU, with Merz as a potential leader, advocates for a shift in perspective towards viewing work as a positive contributor to financial success and personal fulfillment. Reflecting on his own success in the business world, where he earned over a million euros annually, Merz said, "I'm content with my earnings, they didn't just appear out of thin air, I worked for them."
