He added: “I will not give up on the transatlantic relationship, and I will not give up on cooperation with Donald Trump.” Merz on Sunday sought to play down the substance of the dispute, particularly the threat of a U.S. troop withdrawal, framing it as part of longer-running military planning rather than a sudden rupture. … Read more
Merz needs close ties with both the British prime minister and Sánchez. Starmer is an important ally in the “E3” format that Germany, France and the U.K. use to coordinate European strategy toward Ukraine. Sánchez, meanwhile, represents the largest faction within the center-left Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, with whom Merz’s conservatives … Read more
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Germany’s conservative leader falls short by six votes in the first round of voting that he was widely expected to win. Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has failed in his bid to become the country’s 10th chancellor, falling short by just six votes in the first round … Read more