The Latest Breaking News from Friedrich Merz

The EU beat COVID and ditched Russian energy. Now it must learn to live without US security help

The European Union is getting good at adapting to unprecedented circumstances

The Independent UK · Feb 27, 2025

It’s the liberal German dilemma: Merz is anathema, but he might stand up to Trump

Amid the gloom, the truth is dawning: the country faces hard political choices, and needs a more muscular approach to defence, says journalist and author John Kampfner

The Guardian - UK · Feb 27, 2025

Trump might not know it, but he’s forging a new relationship between Britain and the EU

Support for Ukraine means that closer ties to Europe are now a patriotic priority, opening up avenues that Brexit had once blocked, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · Feb 27, 2025

Friedrich Merz was the most pro-US politician in Germany – his shift could be historic for Europe

The lifelong Atlanticist was frank after his election victory: Nato is on the brink, and Germany must reassess its core beliefs on defence, says Jörg Lau, international correspondent for Die Zeit

The Guardian - UK · Feb 26, 2025

Trump and Europe: US ‘transactionalism on steroids’ is the challenge facing leaders now

Donald Trump has always been an avowed transactionalist rather than a transatlanticist. The author of The Art of the Deal made it clear during his first term as US president that he thought Nato was a bad deal for the US. He publicly berated European allies, notably Germany, for not…

The Conversation · Feb 26, 2025

Voices: Should the UK and Europe step away from Nato – and US influence? Join The Independent Debate

THE INDEPEDENT DEBATE: As Trump’s approach to negotiations with Putin over the war in Ukraine raises security concerns, Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, has urged Europe to reduce its reliance on Nato and the US

The Independent UK · Feb 26, 2025

As Starmer meets Trump – what challenges face the UK’s prime minister?

The Labour leader faces a diplomatic balancing act as he heads over the Atlantic this week

The Independent UK · Feb 25, 2025

German parliament in race against time to sign off on new defence fund

Friedrich Merz, expected to be next chancellor, has spoken of urgent need for ramped-up defence, but ‘blocking minority’ could form in future Bundestag

The Guardian - UK · Feb 25, 2025

UK Set to Rejoin EU Talks for Powerful New 'Bank' to Boost Defence Spending

The Government is set to join high-level discussions with the EU this week over a groundbreaking Europe-wide defense funding scheme.

The Fashion Central · Feb 25, 2025

Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting prioritizes ‘real’ independence from the US − but what does that mean and is it achievable?

Germany’s presumptive new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, faces challenges both at home and overseas following his conservative alliance’s election victory on Feb. 23, 2025.

The Conversation · Feb 25, 2025