BERLIN (Reuters) - Friedrich Merz, a man who has never held a government role, is preparing to take the reins in Germany just as the country faces its biggest economic and diplomatic crises in decades and Europe looks urgently for a new generation of leaders for an era of transatlantic tension.

Friedrich Merz, who is poised to become Germany’s chancellor in a CDU-led government, has extensive experience as a lawyer and working with major corporations.

Friedrich Merz, the 69-year-old veteran German politician with a hardline stance on migration and an expensive aviation hobby, is the favorite to become the country’s next chancellor in the February 23 federal election.