Friedrich Merz

Polls show AfD heading for clear lead in the eastern state election as Chancellor Merz warns of economic and political fallout

The far-right AfD party might have enough seats to rule alone in the small federal state

In their criticism of Spain’s migration policy, 22 European leaders found themselves closely aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump

Italy threatens Schengen suspension, France tightens borders and von der Leyen calls the scenes “unacceptable”

The German Chancellor's intervention builds on a broader Franco-German initiative unveiled in June to inject fresh momentum into EU enlargement

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev confirms a clandestine meetings while Berlin distances itself from any such informal diplomacy efforts

The timing of the scandal in which the politician decided to become father through surrogacy un the U.S. could hardly be worse for Merz and the CDU

The initiative addresses Ukraine’s urgent air defence shortages amid intensified Russian ballistic missile and drone attacks while laying the groundwork for a broader European missile defence architecture

Germany will double its defence spending to reach the Hague target of allocating 5% of GDP to defence well ahead of schedule

The overall reconstruction of Ukraine is estimated at approximately $588 billion over the next decade

The European Council session also exposed deepening fractures over how (or whether) to engage the Kremlin

After the group meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy told Reuters that G7 leaders agreed that Russia was not winning the war