German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, a top candidate for chancellor in upcoming elections, arrived in Warsaw on Tuesday to meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Merz arrived in Warsaw from Kiev, where he spent Monday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and underscoring Germany’s support for Ukraine in the war against the ongoing Russian invasion.
Merz, the leader of Germany’s centre-right CDU/CSU bloc, has been seen as the favourite to replace Chancellor Olaf Scholz in early elections expected to be held on February 23.
In Warsaw, Merz visited the Royal Castle on Tuesday morning to see an exhibition of art works from the collection of Ukraine’s National Art Museum, which had been shipped to Poland for safekeeping and conservation following Russian attacks.
The Warsaw museum is located within the Royal Castle, once the home of kings of Poland, which was almost completely destroyed during World War II. It was rebuilt after the war and is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The rebuilt castle is seen as a symbol of the reconstruction of Warsaw, which suffered devastation under German occupation and was heavily destroyed in brutal fighting to drive German forces from the city during World War II.
Merz is scheduled to meet Tusk in the afternoon, with the war in Ukraine expected to be a major topic of discussion.
Friedrich Merz (C), candidate for German chancellor of Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and CDU federal chairman, is briefed by the head of protocol at the Royal Castle Museum. Jörg Blank/dpa
