Germany's chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) Friedrich Merz speaks during an extraordinary session of the outgoing lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, for a vote to adopt the draft law brought by the SPD and CDU/CSU parliamentary groups to reform constitutional debt rules and set up a 500 billion euro infrastructure fund, in Berlin, Germany March 18, 2025. REUTERS - Liesa Johannssen
Germany's next leader Friedrich Merz vowed Wednesday to "move the country forward again" by boosting the economy and spending on defence as he presented a deal to launch his coalition government by early next month.
Merz is set to take over as leader of Europe's top economy just as US President Donald Trump has sparked global trade turmoil and raised fears about future transatlantic security ties.
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