Can we rely on this chancellor? The book that explains Merz. The republic is nervous and divided - and it faces increasingly powerful internal and external enemies. In a time when authoritarian regimes are gaining influence worldwide, many people long for a conservatism that stabilizes the country while standing up to the authoritarians. But is the new chancellor such a conservative? Or is Friedrich Merz also on the path to dismantling old certainties of parliamentary cooperation in order to provide quick answers to the geopolitical, economic, and social challenges of our time? Can he advance major future issues that strengthen Europe? How does Merz handle the contentious topic of migration - in a moderating or escalating manner? And what does all of this have to do with his personal development? No one can answer these questions better than Mariam Lau, who has been covering Friedrich Merz for years.