Merz is 70: A refined reception instead of "Rambo Zambo"

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is 70. He plans to celebrate his milestone birthday this evening first at a reception hosted by his parliamentary group and then in a small gathering with his wife Charlotte, his children, and his grandchildren. He himself says he isn't making a big deal of his special day. For him, it's just a "normal workday," he says. "A great advantage of age is that you become more relaxed and learn to distinguish between what's essential and what's not."

As in every Bundestag week, Merz will attend the CDU/CSU parliamentary group meeting on his birthday. From there, he will go down one floor to the so-called presidential level of the Reichstag building at around 5:00 p.m. In the protocol hall there, the parliamentary group is hosting a reception for him with 300 guests. These include family members, members of parliament, and the state premiers from the CDU/CSU alliance. The parliamentary leaders of the SPD and the Greens will also be there, as well as Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil.

It's not meant to be a wild party, though—no "Rambo Zambo," as Merz dubbed the celebration after his election victory in February ("Now Rambo Zambo can come to the Adenauer House"). This time, it's expected to be over after two hours. Afterwards, Merz will continue celebrating with his immediate family.

Merz is the first German Chancellor over 70 since Konrad Adenauer, who became head of government at 73 and remained so until 87. Among the 27 heads of state and government of the European Union, Merz is the oldest. However, there are also some powerful leaders older than him: Chinese President Xi Jinping is 72, Russian President Vladimir Putin is 73, and US President Donald Trump is already 79.

The Chancellor rarely speaks about his age. However, in the podcast "Hotel Matze" last year, he revealed that it is indeed an issue for him. "I'm no longer 40, nor even 50. And I naturally ask myself the question, (...) are you really physically up to this task?"

At the time, he was leader of the opposition in the Bundestag and described himself as "fully capable." Even today, he leaves no doubt about his fitness. "I am grateful that I am fit and healthy and can fully concentrate on my duties as Chancellor," he says.