When Friedrich Merz came to office in May 2025, corporate boardrooms were abuzz with hope. As he ascended to the chancellorship, the leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union  (CDU) promised nothing less than an "economic turning point." With him at the helm, he declared, every political decision would be preceded by the question: Will this benefit Germany's economic competitiveness? It certainly sounded plausible. After all, before returning to politics, Merz had made his fortune