The Latest Breaking News from Friedrich Merz

If the country holds out against the Trump-assisted AfD, it shows rightwing populism can be resisted in Europe’s heartland, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

On Sunday, Germans will vote in an election that could shape both their country’s future and that of the European Union. While the hard-right AfD gains support, centrist and left-leaning parties struggle to tackle key issues such as immigration, inflation, and whether to back US President Donald Trump’s efforts to…

When Germans vote on Sunday, conservative Friedrich Merz is the strong favourite to become the next chancellor after a bitterly fought campaign roiled by the rise of the AfD, a far-right party vocally backed by Team Trump.

Germany's conservative election frontrunner Friedrich Merz on Wednesday called on voters to give him a strong mandate to restrict immigration and rebuild the economy to ward off the rise of the far-right AfD. In a final head-to-head TV debate with centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz before Sunday's general election, Merz warned…

Mainstream parties struggle to retain voters in a fragmented political landscape.

The CDU is a big player in the European parliament, but its predicted win this Sunday won’t change Germany’s inward focus, says Cas Mudde of the University of Georgia

In today’s newsletter: ​Mainstream ​political parties are struggling to maintain traditional political boundaries – and have few alternative solutions available

Trump’s election in November last year has – as promised – sent shockwaves round the world. But next week’s German election could be almost as momentous

Germany is holding a federal election on February 23 – a snap vote called by chancellor Olaf Scholz when his coalition government fell apart at the end of last year. Parties are running to win seats in the national parliament, or Bundestag. And with an unusual level of interest from…