The Latest Breaking News from Friedrich Merz

The defence ministers of Europe's five major powers—France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Italy—convened in Paris and reached broad consensus on the necessity of strengthening Ukraine's long-term security by enhancing its armed forces. Meanwhile, Germany's Chancellor-elect, Friedrich Merz, is in discussions with MPs regarding a significant increase in defence…

Germany's likely next leader Friedrich Merz said Thursday urgent action was needed to boost the country's under-resourced military and ailing economy, as he defended plans for a spending bonanza during a fiery parliamentary debate.

Germany is home to the largest number of asylum seekers among the EU member states. But a growing political shift to the right has put increasing pressure on these new arrivals – and those who provide services for them.

UK appears to be out of US eyeline for now but it would not be immune to slowdown triggered by rising tariffs

Even Berlin and Brussels are bending fiscal rules in the face of Russia’s threat. Will the chancellor still stick to hers?

Germany, France and UK sweep away old rules in pledge to do ‘whatever it takes’ to defend Europe from Russian threat

As Germany's Friedrich Merz gets closer to becoming chancellor, many asylum seekers live in fear of what his promised crackdown on irregular immigration will mean for them.

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: Britain was notably absent from the EU’s emergency defence summit – but Sir Keir Starmer has already assembled a ‘coalition of the willing’ to support Ukraine, and established himself as the nearest thing to a replacement leader of the free world

Head-spinning speed of events leaves EU adapting at pace while trying to infer Trump’s possible geo-strategic aims