Michael Nienaber

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would try to forge a compromise to steady his fractious coalition as his conservative party faced fresh scrutiny over whether it helped a far-right candidate into a top state parliamentary post this week.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition agreed to grind ahead in its effort to push through a raft of reforms as the parties struggle to bridge differences in the face of plummeting public support.

German spies haven’t enjoyed the best reputation among Western peers. The arrest this week of the country’s one-time intelligence chief on suspicion of treason is unlikely to help matters.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regard an “energy truce” announced by Donald Trump covering Russian oil refineries as too narrow and want Moscow to accept a broader ceasefire in the power sector, according to people familiar with the matter.

Germany will press the European Union to quickly place quotas on additional sectors of goods being imported from China, replicating a cap the bloc is planning to impose on hybrid vehicles.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned against complacency over the dangers posed by Russia, saying that President Vladimir Putin is seeking to not only defeat Ukraine, but to also undermine democracy in Europe.

Germany is planning to purchase thousands of precision deep-strike weapons from several European manufacturers, rushing to fill its arsenal with arms to deter Russia while it is pushed to the back of the line for US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Germany’s government is entering constitutional “uncharted territory” in its effort to prevent the state of Berlin from seizing large portfolios of privately owned apartments from real estate companies, the Justice Ministry said.

Europe’s five biggest defense powers vowed to stand behind Ukraine in its fight against Russia, even as the US offers Moscow a financial lifeline and presses Kyiv to make a deal.

Eleven years after Europe floated plans for common deposit insurance across its member states, its successor is taking shape.