Embattled German chancellor chooses papal pageturner for his beach read

With his popularity at historic lows, Friedrich Merz seeks spiritual guidance from Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI

Summer is normally thought of as the time for pacy potboilers and brain-soothing pageturners – airport reads that wind up sandy and sunscreen-stained. Not so for Friedrich Merz’s holiday reading list.

Germany’s embattled chancellor, who has faced one rough patch after another since taking office 14 months ago, seems to be seeking spiritual guidance this year while putting his feet up.

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