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Merz on tour: A first look at his plans in Lower Saxony!
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit Hanover on July 22, 2025 to talk to state politicians and Volkswagen about key issues.
Merz on tour: A first look at his plans in Lower Saxony!
On July 22, 2025, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will pay his first inaugural visit to Lower Saxony, after having already toured Bavaria. The visit to Hanover will be accompanied by Prime Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) and is part of a tour through all 16 federal states. Merz has decided to intensify contact with the grassroots and address the most pressing issues affecting the country.
In Hanover, Merz will meet for the first time with the members of the state cabinet in the Lower Saxony State Chancellery. He will then visit Volkswagen, where he will find out about autonomous driving technology. A hotly debated topic during his visit will be the burden of tariffs on Volkswagen's US business - a topic that Merz has already addressed in his previous conversations, such as during his visit with US President Donald Trump. There he pointed out the importance of an agreement in the customs negotiations in order to minimize the challenges for German companies, as Deutschlandfunk reports.
An insight into the medical school
After the visit to Volkswagen, Merz will visit the Hannover Medical School (MHH). Here he will learn more about the “Resist” Cluster of Excellence, which is concerned with protecting people who are susceptible to infections. This shows Merz’s commitment to health research and improving medical care in Germany.
Despite the conflict-filled weeks within the coalition, Merz does not express any concerns about a crisis. “We have to tackle things and be ready to find solutions,” is how he sums up his position. He also leaves open the possibility of new candidates for the election of judges and defends the EU position in the customs dispute with the USA. His aim is to reach an agreement before August 1, while an EU team is on its way to the US to push negotiations forward.
Strategic discussions at European level
At an EU summit in Brussels, Merz called for urgent and rapid customs negotiations. It is important to him to make Germany a driving force in the EU again. At a meeting of 21 of the 27 EU member states, he spoke about the need for a tougher migration policy and deepened the discussion about return centers for rejected asylum seekers. In this context, Merz speaks of a “migration turnaround” that affects many European countries, as Tagesschau also reports.
Merz is also pushing to quickly conclude a trade agreement with the USA, as the pressure from high tariff increases of up to 50% on certain products such as cars, steel and aluminum is already being felt. Merz is doing everything he can to improve the situation for the German economy while the EU Commission is preparing possible counter-tariffs.
With this extensive program, Merz not only presents its new agenda, but also takes a significant step to deepen relationships with important partners at national and international levels. It remains to be seen what impulses the Chancellor can provide during his visit.