From left, Parliamentary Group Leader of the Bavarian conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) party Alexander Dobrindt, leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz and the co-leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Saskia Esken prior to coalition talks between SPD CDU/CSU at the SPD headquarters in Berlin, March 28, 2025
GERMAN election winner Friedrich Merz sealed a deal today to form a new government.
Mr Merz said it would aim to spur economic growth, ramp up defence spending, take a tougher approach to migration and catch up on long-neglected modernisation.
The agreement, which follows weeks of negotiations, leaves the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) leader on track to become Germany’s new Chancellor in early May, replacing Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Friedrich Merz’s call for a new Plaza Accord ignores how Washington’s 1985 currency ambush destroyed Japan without fixing US deficits — China, a sovereign socialist state with 1.4 billion consumers, cannot be bullied the same way, writes CARLOS MARTINEZ
NICK WRIGHT returns to Berlin and finds a city in darkness and political turmoil
The cancelled China trip of the German Foreign Minister marks a break with Helmut Schmidt’s China policy and drives Germany further into Washington’s confrontation course, warns SEVIM DAGDELEN
