AfD leads North Rhine-Westphalia on a federal ballot for the first time
The governing CDU-Green coalition would still have a majority. No other two-party deal without AfD would work.
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Friedrich Merz
Popular articles tagged "Friedrich Merz"
CDU still a ‘people’s party’ despite state parliament wipeout, deputy group leader says
Krings acknowledged "crafting errors" in the federal government and said he was "not satisfied with all aspects of the government reshuffle".
CDU crisis: Party leadership closes ranks behind Merz after state election rout
Senior Christian Democrats have backed the Chancellor at a crisis meeting in Berlin while conceding the party must change as Alternative for Germany surges in the…
Merz refuses to change course after CDU is wiped out in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
The Christian Democrats have failed to win seats in a German State parliament for the first time in their history.
AfD wins Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as Merz’s CDU crashes out of parliament
The right-wing party has topped the poll in the northeastern German state for the first time, ending almost three decades of Social Democrat dominance.
YouGov puts CDU/CSU at record low as talk of replacing Merz grows
The AfD took 43.8 per cent there on September 6, a record for the party in any state election, against 17.2 per cent for the CDU.
AfD lodges defamation complaint against Merz over ‘ethnic cleansing’ accusations
Members of the Bundestag are normally shielded from prosecution for what they say in the chamber under Article 46 of the Basic Law, Germany’s constitution.
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German state premier Wüst breaks CDU ranks over AfD ban
Critics warn that the push could amount to an attempt to suppress a political rival that the CDU has failed to defeat at the ballot box.
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Merz runs out of road in Saxony-Anhalt
Friedrich Merz faces a challenging landscape in Saxony-Anhalt after the AfD's significant electoral win.
German power grid sabotage points to climate extremist, not Russia
Investigators have named a 48-year-old activist as their main suspect after days in which ministers suggested a foreign power might be behind the attacks.
Merz says Germany close to response over suspected Leipzig drone attack
Speaking on ARD public television's summer interview, Merz said investigators were "in the process of concluding the investigation".
German industry pushes Merz towards a harder China line
For years the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and the big car, chemical and machinery groups treated China as a market first and a rival second.
Leading German corporations demand immediate implementation of reforms
They called for the burden to be reduced on a sustainable basis, describing further increases as unacceptable for businesses and employees.
Merz popularity hits personal all-time low
Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-chair Alice Weidel sits at the bottom of the top-10 list on –2.5.
Germany overhauls its spy services as hybrid war with Russia escalates
The bill goes first to the Bundesrat for its opinion before the Bundestag takes it up. It does not require the chamber's consent.
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Merz clings to a firewall his own voters have abandoned
CDU leader Friedrich Merz faces growing discontent as shifting voter support in East Germany favors the AfD, highlighting a disconnect with conservative constituents.
Merz demands hundreds of billions in cuts to next EU budget
The German Chancellor used a visit to Dublin to harden Berlin's line as Ireland takes charge of the negotiations on the 2028-2034 spending package.
Merz reopens citizenship-stripping debate after Berlin CSD attack
The German Chancellor's proposal comes in response to the fact that the alleged attacker was not a foreign national.
Germany issues more than 53,000 family reunification visas despite announced suspension
The numbers come a year after the Bundestag approved a two-year suspension of family reunification for people with subsidiary protection status.
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Aliyev confirms secret German-Russian talks in Baku on ending the Ukraine war
The revelation has highlighted the role of unofficial diplomatic channels as a potential groundwork for future Ukraine peace talks.
Merz picks chancellery chief to lead German conservatives after surrogacy row
Thorsten Frei would take over a Bundestag group shaken by Jens Spahn's resignation over a surrogate birth in the United States.
Europe not ready to replace American weapons, German air force chief warns
Lieutenant General Holger Neumann said Germany had no home-grown answer to the United States on advanced combat aircraft and air defence.
Germany to borrow more than €800bn by 2030 for infrastructure and defence
Ministers argue the spending surge is needed to revive the economy after years of weak growth, modernise ageing infrastructure and rapidly strengthen armed forces.
The Right is winning on order, not ideology
Germany is facing increasing chaos, with trains frequently late and basic infrastructure failing, leading voters to seek nationalism not for ideology, but for a…
Europe’s biggest military powers pledge stronger NATO role ahead of Ankara summit
Friedrich Merz hosted Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni and Donald Tusk for a meeting of the so-called E5 group.
German socialists push for extra holiday time as economy struggles
The suggestion forms part of ongoing coalition talks with the CDU/CSU on a broader reform package and may cause friction within the government.
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Germany considers raising retirement age as economic slump continues
The Rentenkommission is expected to suggest gradually raising the retirement age to 68.
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Part III: Germany embraces ‘the dumbest energy policy’ the world has yet seen
Germany's Green Transformation aims for climate neutrality but critics argue it may be the world's 'dumbest energy policy,' leading to soaring energy costs and declining…
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Costa defends Russia outreach as EU leaders question his mandate
The European Council president acted without consulting most national capitals, exposing a deep rift over how to deal with Moscow.
Merz’s top adviser says not the AfD, but far-left scares investors away
He noted that discussions with international investors barely mention possible AfD successes in upcoming state elections in eastern Germany.