Overview
- About 300 guests gathered in the Reichstag for a two‑hour reception where CDU/CSU hosted cross‑party leaders, premiers and former faction chiefs.
- Merz received an original Germany flag from a Reichstag tower with Bundestag President Julia Klöckner’s permission, while Jens Spahn gifted three animal‑motif ties.
- SPD co‑leader and Vice‑Chancellor Lars Klingbeil presented a framed note reading “Verantwortung für Deutschland” and both leaders stressed a now stable working relationship.
- CSU leader Markus Söder praised Merz’s “power and fitness” and gifted a Franz Josef Strauß figurine, though participants described parts of his speech as borderline, including jabs referencing Armin Laschet and succession chatter.
- The CDU’s Seniors’ Union publicly invited the now‑70 chancellor to join its ranks, as reports noted he is the first sitting German leader to reach 70 since Konrad Adenauer.