Overview

• At the reopening of Munich’s Reichenbachstraße Synagogue, Friedrich Merz grew emotional as he spoke about the Shoah and quoted Hannah Arendt.
• He said he was ashamed about the resurgence of antisemitism in Germany, invoking his generation’s “Nie wieder” obligation and noting concerns such as Jewish schoolchildren needing police protection.
• Journalists highlighted a conspicuous pause they judged not purely rhetorical, a moment not evident in the official transcript circulated by the federal press office.
• The episode has prompted discussion about authenticity and leadership, with online critics calling the display performative and others pointing to Merz’s prior public showings of emotion.
• CDU veteran Günther Oettinger described Merz as more openly empathetic than Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz, even as the chancellor’s sharper remarks have often shaped his public image.