European shares and the euro climbed on Monday as Germany's election produced no nasty surprises, while Wall Street futures firmed on hopes results from AI diva Nvidia this week would justify the tech sector's sky-high valuations.

German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz speaks on the day of a party leadership meeting following the general election in Berlin,

Merz expressed concern over changing relations with Washington under the Trump administration, emphasizing the need for gradual independence from the U.S.