As part of an annual tradition, Chancellor Friedrich Merz sat down with public broadcaster ARD on Sunday evening for a wide-ranging summer interview. Amid drooping poll numbers, Merz tried to use the interview to tout his government's work on economic, migration and energy policy.
At the same time, Merz made a number of misleading claims, often overstating his administration's work and misrepresenting climate science.
DW Fact check, in collaboration with colleagues across the ARD fact-checking network, reviewed Merz's interview live.
Asylum applications have dropped sharply, but not by 60% as Merz claimedImage: Joko/IMAGO
Did Merz cut asylum numbers by 60%?
