Christopher Gadsby

Christopher Gadsby is a writer who lives in London.

Friedrich Merz is driving his coalition to breaking point

From our UK edition

‘Whoever has visions should see a doctor.’ Dubiously credited to the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt, this bon mot has become a stock phrase of Berlin political jargon, an unofficial motto for Germany’s sober political culture of pragmatism and restraint. When Friedrich Merz ran for election last year, he tried to reassure voters that he