23 m. ago Germany election: Europe must boost defence capabilities quickly, says Merz

Leader of victorious conservative alliance says transatlantic alliance will be difficult with Trump’s ‘America alone’ mottoThe man expected to be Germany’s next chancellor has said Europe must act swiftly to increase its defence capability in the face of a US administration whose motto is moving towards “America alone”, adding: “This is really five minutes to midnight for Europe.”In a wide-ranging press conference after his conservative alliance’s victory in Sunday’s federal election, Friedrich Merz made it clear his focus was on the turbulent geopolitical landscape, saying that although he would seek good ties with the US he was also ready for “the worst-case scenario”. Continue reading...

Politics

45 m. ago The Guardian view on Germany’s election result: Merz’s task is formidable | Editorial

The victorious CDU leader is likely to be more proactive on the European stage. He will also need to forge broad alliances at home to see off the far rightFriedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), has a reputation for being blunt. On Sunday evening, as it became clear that the CDU had won the snap election triggered by the outgoing Social Democrat chancellor, Olaf Scholz, he did not disappoint. “For me,” said Mr Merz in a post-election television debate, “the absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA.”As recently as a fortnight ago, such a statement from a German chancellor-elect would have been inconceivable. But these are new and extraordinary times. A convinced transatlanticist, Mr Merz has previously played down the dangers to western unity posed by Donald Trump. But crude electioneering on behalf of the extreme right Alternat...

Politics

1 hour ago FTSE 100 treads water while Germany’s Dax makes gains after election

The UK’s blue-chip index dipped 0.39 points to close at 8,658.98.

Politics

3 h. ago Mapped: The German election results after far right AfD sees surge in support in the East

The conservative alliance led by Feidrich Merz took the most seats in the German Bundestag, but Alice Weidel’s far-right AfD is close behind.

Politics

3 h. ago Merz strikes urgent tone in calling for more European independence from US

Stance of German alliance’s leader could herald closer ties with France but ‘debt brake’ poses obstacle to spendingGerman election live – latest updatesFriedrich Merz marked his conservative alliance’s victory in Germany’s election by urging Europe to make itself more independent from the US – a project that will be music to the ears of Emmanuel Macron but may turn on whether Merz can build a Bundestag majority to lift the so-called debt brake that slows increases in defence spending.One possibility for the CDU/CSU alliance leader, who is on course to become Germany’s next chancellor, is to claim that the country is in an emergency, to try to force the change through the Bundestag before its dissolution. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago German election winner to welcome Netanyahu despite ICC arrest warrant

Israeli prime minister’s office describes Friedrich Merz’s gesture as ‘overt defiance’ of international court

Events

5 h. ago Germany election: far right surge is ‘last warning’, says Friedrich Merz

Leader of victorious conservative alliance says centrist parties must work together to provide effective leadershipGerman election live – latest updatesThe doubling of support for the far right in Germany’s federal election was “the last warning” to the country’s mainstream parties to provide effective leadership, Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s victorious conservative alliance, has said.Speaking on Monday after his CDU/CSU alliance came first with 28.5% of the vote, the man who is on course to become the next German chancellor said centrist parties needed to heed the surge in support for the anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Continue reading...

Events

5 h. ago Germany will likely continue its leadership on climate action. But expect a change in tone

Germany has long been considered to have relatively ambitious climate goals and it’s likely that combatting climate change will remain a priority

Politics

6 h. ago German elections live: Far right Afd’s surge is ‘final warning’ to democratic parties, victorious Merz says

Friedrich Merz set to become new chancellor after provisional results show his conservatives won

Events

6 h. ago Friedrich Merz: Who is Germany’s election winner and how will he fare against AfD leader Alice Weidel?

Friedrich Merz has taken aim at the US and says Europe must stand up for itself

Politics

6 h. ago Apple cheers Trump with $500bn US investment plan; UK defence firm Chemring ‘targeted’ by private equity firm – business live

One of the world’s largest private equity investors has made an approach to buy Chemring, the FTSE 250 defence group, Sky News reportsGerman election live: Merz says priority is to make Europe independent from US on defence as coalition talks to beginShares in some European weapons makers are rising in early trading too.German tank maker Rheinmetall jumped 3% at the start of trading, while in London BAE Systems are up 1.7%.‘’A dose of more certainty has been injected into European politics, with the Germany’s Conservatives winning the elections. It comes at a crucial time for the continent. Three years on from the invasion of Ukraine, high stakes deal making between the US and Russia continues, Ukraine is out in the cold and the outcome will have huge implications for security in Europe.There is a dawning realisation that European nations will have to pull together and present a more united deterrent force, and Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, is reading from that script. He has pled...

Economics

6 h. ago German election shows how far green wave has receded in Europe

Result is further evidence that political conversation around the climate crisis has shiftedGerman election live – latest updatesIn the final days of an election campaign dominated by migration, the likely new chancellor of Europe’s biggest polluter sought to assure voters that its economy ministry would not be occupied by NGOs. Instead, conservative lead candidate Friedrich Merz posted on social media that it would be led by “someone who understands that economic policy is more than being a representative for heat pumps”.Climate action barely featured on the campaign trail before Germany’s federal elections on Sunday – except when right-leaning parties used it to swipe at the Greens. Merz’s jab was at the tamer end of attacks aimed at the Green party candidate, Robert Habeck, the economy and climate minister who pushed through an unpopular law to promote clean heating, but is a sign of how far the political conversation around climate action has shifted. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago UK defence firm Chemring ‘targeted’ by private equity firm Bain Capital– business live

One of the world’s largest private equity investors has made an approach to buy Chemring, the FTSE 250 defence group, Sky News reportsGerman election live: Merz says priority is to make Europe independent from US on defence as coalition talks to beginShares in some European weapons makers are rising in early trading too.German tank maker Rheinmetall jumped 3% at the start of trading, while in London BAE Systems are up 1.7%.‘’A dose of more certainty has been injected into European politics, with the Germany’s Conservatives winning the elections. It comes at a crucial time for the continent. Three years on from the invasion of Ukraine, high stakes deal making between the US and Russia continues, Ukraine is out in the cold and the outcome will have huge implications for security in Europe.There is a dawning realisation that European nations will have to pull together and present a more united deterrent force, and Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, is reading from that script. He has pled...

Economics

7 h. ago What we learned from the German election that will bring change to the EU's leading power

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

Politics

8 h. ago German election results 2025 – live: Elon Musk congratulates far

Friedrich Merz set to become new chancellor after provisional results show his conservatives won

Politics

9 h. ago Germany has swung to the right. What does that mean for the country – and Europe? Our panel responds

Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU may have won the German election, but all eyes are on the far-right AfD after its huge gains Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Germany elections live: AfD’s Weidel says she received congratulations from Elon Musk after significant far

Conservative opposition wins most votes in Germany election amid dramatic surge by far-right Alternative für Deutschland German election 2025: results in fullGuten Morgen aus Berlin,In November 2019, Freidrich Merz joined a conference of German students at Harvard.From our point of view it can get going very, very quickly. We should hold the first talks this week already, in the coming days.My impression is that there are many people in the SPD who also see that we can and should do something together, and then we will find compromises. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Deutsche Bank boss calls for ‘fundamental reforms’ from next government, as German business confidence stagnates – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as euro rallies and DAX and MDAX indices rise in early tradingGerman election live: Merz says priority is to make Europe independent from US on defence as coalition talks to beginShares in some European weapons makers are rising in early trading too.German tank maker Rheinmetall jumped 3% at the start of trading, while in London BAE Systems are up 1.7%.‘’A dose of more certainty has been injected into European politics, with the Germany’s Conservatives winning the elections. It comes at a crucial time for the continent. Three years on from the invasion of Ukraine, high stakes deal making between the US and Russia continues, Ukraine is out in the cold and the outcome will have huge implications for security in Europe.There is a dawning realisation that European nations will have to pull together and present a more united deterrent force, and Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, is reading from that script. He has pledged to relax...

Economics

11 h. ago German election results 2025 – live: Friedrich Merz’s conservatives celebrate win after far

Likely new chancellor has ruled out coalition with AfD

Politics

11 h. ago Germany: Merz calls for European ‘independence’ from US after Conservatives win election – Europe live

Donald Trump has made it clear he is ‘fairly indifferent to Europe’s fate’, says CDU leader who plans to form a coalition by EasterGerman election 2025: results in fullGuten Morgen aus Berlin,In November 2019, Freidrich Merz joined a conference of German students at Harvard.From our point of view it can get going very, very quickly. We should hold the first talks this week already, in the coming days.My impression is that there are many people in the SPD who also see that we can and should do something together, and then we will find compromises. Continue reading...

Politics