Such talks often drag on for weeks if not months in Germany, but Merz is in a hurry to reach a deal with Europe's biggest economy facing economic malaise and an upheaval in relations with the U.S.

Germany’s Friedrich Merz takes swipe at Trump and calls for ‘independence from the USA’ - Germany’s likely next chancellor has also questioned whether NATO will continue to exist

Europe will need to defend itself and can no longer rely on the US, says man likely to become next German chancellor

The likely next chancellor is unpopular, and his country’s economy has stalled. But his penchant for risks could help lead to a European showdown with President Trump.

The soon-to-be new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, may not be quite a Teutonic knight ... As he says, it is “unclear whether we will still speak of Nato in its present shape” by the time of ...

Claiming his victory in the German election, Friedrich Merz, leader of the centre-right ... chancellor also cast doubt on the future of Nato without American support. He was only a little less ...

Germany’s mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won the country’s national election, ensuring that Ukraine has an even stronger supporter in the European Union’s largest country and

Germany’s chancellor-elect, Friedrich Merz ... In speaking about the upcoming NATO summit in June, Merz suggested the NATO alliance "in its current form" is in jeopardy and said European ...

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany's mainstream conservatives, has said that Europe must become independent from the United States in security matters, after his grouping won the biggest share of the vote in federal elections.

CDU leader questions whether Nato will remain in its ‘current form’ by June as he hits out at Donald Trump Friedrich Merz, who is poised to become Germany’s next chancellor, has warned Nato ...

Merz aims to shift Europe away from US dependence, but rising far-right pressure and geopolitical tensions could complicate his path.