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Europe News

German coalition talks reach crucial next level

The coalition parties most likely to form the new German government have intensified talks.

Germany

Germany's upper house clears historic defence spending bill

The package, which will allow for a large increase in military expenditure, passed through the Bundesrat despite objections from several smaller parties.

Europe News

Germany's parliament passes historic package boosting defence spending

Friedrich Merz needed the support of two-thirds majority in parliament for his plan to unlock billions for defence and infrastructure spending.

Economy

European stocks, euro rally as Germany strikes historic debt deal

Germany’s next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, struck a deal to loosen borrowing limits, unleashing €500 billion for defence and infrastructure. Markets surged, while analysts debated its impact on inflation and ECB rate policy.

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Germany

Germany's Friedrich Merz faces rocky road to lift debt brake rules

Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz wants to alter Germany's strict fiscal rules to massively boost defence spending, the Greens are standing in his way.

Europe News

Germany's Greens publicly oppose Merz's debt brake reform

Election winner and Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz is relying on votes from the Greens to push through parliament a special fund for infrastructure and defence.

Europe News

Euroviews. Merz is chiseling economic decline into the German constitution

Friedrich Merz, who once presented himself as the last line of defence against debt madness, is now set to push Germany’s new debt into the trillion-euro range. This program will accelerate the country's economic decline, Joachim Nikolaus Steinhöfel writes.

Europe News

Preliminary talks conclude on new coalition government for Germany

According to Friedrich Merz, his conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democratic Party leaders agreed on common principles on migration and the economy.

Europe News

Merz secures billion-euro deal for German military and infrastructure

A provision would exempt defence spending above 1% of GDP from debt brake rules, enabling Germany to increase military spending without limit.

World News

Merz calls Trump-Zelenskyy spat at White House 'manufactured escalation'

The CDU leader said Europe must be prepared to act independently.

Brussels, My Love?

Brussels, my love? Who is Friedrich Merz?

In this edition, we reflect on the big takeaways from the German federal elections and discuss the recent wave of copycat violent attacks across Europe.

Europe News

CDU and SPD start talks in bid to form next German government

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats, has ruled out a coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which finished second in last week's elections.

Europe News

Merz travels to Paris for dinner with Macron

The winner of Germany's parliamentary elections has travelled to Paris to meet the French president for a working dinner on Wednesday.

Europe News

What's at stake for Europe after the German election?

With domestic problems and foreign policy crises looming large, the pressure is on to form a new government in Berlin.

Europe News

Germany's Merz ‘resolute and determined,' former EU chief Barroso says

Merz’s centre-right CDU emerged as the largest party in Sunday’s federal elections, winning 208 seats in the 630-seat German parliament.

Europe News

Will Merz rekindle the Franco-German flame?

The Franco-German partnership, historically central to key decisions in Brussels, has been strained over the past three years. This is due in part to domestic political crises in both France and Germany, as well as significant differences in the leadership styles of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Europe News

Germany’s Merz marks shift by betting on an EU less dependent on US

Friedrich Merz, who led the Christian Democratic Union to victory at the polls, referred to a strong Europe independent of the United States as his “absolute priority”. Many in Brussels now expect a more stable government in Berlin will mean a stronger German leadership

Europe News

Merz: German government coalition talks between CDU and SPD to begin

The centre-right party's leader Friedrich Merz said CDU and SPD are to enter talks to form a coalition, one day after the German election on Sunday.

Germany

Germany’s Merz aims to lead Europe with US involvement 'dwindling'

The centre-right CDU's leader has committed himself to taking a more active role in the bloc in the midst of what he says is declining transatlantic interest in Europe.

Germany

BSW's Sahra Wagenknecht mulls challenging German election results

The left-wing conservative BSW party fell just short of the 5% threshold to enter the Bundestag with a nail-biting share of 4.97% of the vote on Sunday.