frozen snapshot — 2026-07-23 · see today →

What's on Friedrich Merz's mind?

read fresh this morning at 6

30%24%18%13%15%

the Azerbaijan partnership 30% the secret Baku meeting 24% picking a new faction leader 18% the missing Russian gas 13% everything else 15%

Merz and Aliyev sign a joint declaration on a 'strategic agenda' — gas, trade and geopolitics folded into one handshake.

President Ilham Aliyev and Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold talks in Berlin

our translation

he needs a gas supplier who isn't moscow and a caucasus foothold, so he rolls out the red carpet for a strongman and calls it 'strategic'.

partnership signed July 22very sure · 3 sources

Aliyev reconfirmed July 23pretty sure · 3 sources

confidant named July 22very sure · 3 sources

gas import push July 21pretty sure · 3 sources

thursday, july 23

Nudge the CDU/CSU faction to formally crown your chancellery chief as its new leader(reported)

Keep insisting Berlin knew nothing about those secret Baku talks with Moscow(reported)

Ring Yerevan again so the Aliyev deal doesn't read as picking Baku's side(reported)

Chase Baku to turn the gas 'strategic partnership' into actual molecules(safe bet)

rebuilt from the public schedule, pool reports & old habits — the rest is educated guessing

The source

Merz picks chancellery chief to lead German conservatives after surrogacy row

every line on the pad traces to something public — tap to see it