The leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz arrives at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin for talk with the German presidnt on November 7, 2024. The day before, the German Chancellor sacked Finance minister Christian Lindner, from the pro-business Free Democrats FDP, leading to the breakdown of his three-party coalition government. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)