(FILES) Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and then top candidate for chancellor, arrives to address supporters after the first exit polls in the German general elections were announced on TV during the electoral evening in Berlin on February 23, 2025. A year ago, German lawmakers elected conservative Friedrich Merz as chancellor. The chancellor had vowed to diminish the appeal of the country's far-right AfD party with two main strategies -- taking a tough stance on immigration to outflank the far-right party on the issue, and aiming to enact bold reforms to prove that centrist parties are still capable of acting. Tighter immigration rules have led to a significant decrease in arrivals -- but the chancellor does not appear to be benefitting political. Meanwhile the reform drive has stalled due to bickering between the conservative CDU and the social democratic SPD coalition parties, with the long-struggling economy making a slower than expected recovery. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP via Getty Images)