Last but not least: If the biography focuses too much on the person

The research - author Philippe Reichen conducted around 70 interviews - began in early 2008. It had been agreed that Merz would authorize the biography. After he suffered a cardiac arrest in the fall of 2008, the publication date was postponed indefinitely after consultation with him. And now suddenly Mr. Merz no longer wants it: on Tuesday he unceremoniously informed the author and the publisher that the project had been stopped. The reason given is interesting: The biography was too strongly focused on his person, according to Mr. Merz. Well, that's the nature of a biography - the presentation of another person's life - in general, Mr. Federal Councillor. When asked by the SDA, his spokeswoman Tanja Kocher explained the reason for the stop in more detail: a major process of change had been set in motion during the project. The financial and economic crisis and the discussion about banking secrecy are just two of the key factors - the "biography" concept does not take enough account of these changes...