The first step towards Mr Merz being effective on the European stage is for him to forge a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats at home, a task expected to take several more weeks. But the agreement announced on March 4th was startling in its ambition.

European Union leaders are holding emergency summit talks to beef up their own military defenses and make sure Ukraine will still be properly protected as Europe faces the prospect of the U.S. cutting it adrift.

BERLIN — Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz is promising a constitutional revolution to allow ... straight-jacket — the notorious debt brake — but is also pushing the EU at large to relax spending rules so the whole continent can dramatically ...

The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the election result a "decisive victory for our political family, for Germany and Europe." The European People's Party, the European Union's largest parliamentary group,

Friedrich Merz is on course to become post-World War II Germany’s ... that we shouldn’t expect a resounding common EU policy,” he said and added that it will likely “be the usual game of muddling through." Merz put toughening Germany's immigration ...

The victory of the Christian Democratic leader in the February 23 German parliamentary elections was met with relief by France, Poland and other members that support a bolder role for the European Union in tackling security and economic challenges.

Germany faces its second change of leader in less than four years after the head of the center-right opposition won Sunday’s election.

The European Union is getting good at adapting to unprecedented circumstances. Over the last five years, the 27 member countries have pulled together to fund the purchase of tens of millions of vaccines and devised a massive recovery fund to resuscitate economies ravaged by the pandemic.

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz has triumphed at Germany’s ballot boxes, paving his way to become the next chancellor. His win is of particular significance to Europe — the leader has vowed to strengthen the EU,