When Poland introduced border checks with Germany and Lithuania this week, it wasn’t the first time that a Schengen country took such a step. These measures are typically justified as necessary to curb irregular migration, combat human smuggling, or address national security concerns. But for many analysts, it may be one of the clearest signs […]
Johann Wadephul (Deutscher Bundestag) US President Donald Trump can feel vindicated: Germany‘s new foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, said this week that the government had accepted the president’s demand to invest 5% of GDP in defense. Speaking at a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Antalya, Turkey, on Thursday, Wadephul also said Germany would support Nato’s […]
Friedrich Merz, 69, a conservative stalwart and longtime rival of Angela Merkel, was elected Germany’s 10th postwar chancellor on Tuesday after a dramatic two-round parliamentary vote. His appointment marks a return to the national spotlight for a politician who once left public life altogether.Merz secured the chancellorship in a second ballot with 325 votes after […]
Friedrich Merz has failed to secure enough support to become Germany’s next chancellor, falling short by six votes in the Bundestag’s first round of voting. In a secret ballot held on Tuesday, Merz received 310 votes in favour, just under the required 316 needed to secure a majority in the 630-member parliament.The outcome was a […]
Friedrich Merz (Photo: X) If all goes to plan, Friedrich Merz will become the Federal Republic‘s 10th chancellor on May 6. The two remaining hurdles appear to be formalities: On Monday, his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will convene for a special party conference to approve the coalition contract with the center-left Social Democratic Party […]
German lawmakers will gather in early May to elect Friedrich Merz as chancellor after his conservative bloc sealed a coalition agreement with the main centre-left party, the Bundestag said Monday. Both steps were expected to be a formality after Merz’s conservative bloc, the CDU/CSU, and his future governing partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), settled […]
