Merz calls for pan-European stock exchange Markets Friedrich Merz has called for the creation of a pan-European stock exchange in a move that would help it compete with Asian and US counterparts and eclipse the liquidity offered on London’s ailing bourse. In an address to parliament in Berlin, the German Chancellor said European businesses need a “sufficiently broad and deep European capital [...]
What would a far-right leader in France mean for Europe? Opinion Despite growing economic strains and political turbulence in both countries, a potential alignment between Germany’s centre-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz and a far-right French president could temporarily steady Europe’s core — but deep fiscal and ideological divides between Paris and Berlin still threaten the long-term stability of the European Union and its single currency, says David [...]
Crunch summit: Starmer, Zelensky and European leaders to meet Trump in DC Politics Sir Keir Starmer will join European leaders in presenting a united front with Volodymyr Zelensky at his crunch meeting at the White House with Donald Trump. The Prime Minister and six other political leaders will travel to Washington DC on Monday, with the aim of protecting Ukraine from having to submit to Russian land grabs [...]
Trump teases second Ukraine summit hours before Putin meeting August 15, 2025 European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer could attend a second meeting with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky which could bring the war in Ukraine to an end, the US president has said. On the eve of the summit, Mr Trump said leaders from Europe, which could include members of the so-called “coalition of the willing” that [...]
Stellantis: Vauxhall owner warns of £1.3bn tariff hit after EU-US deal July 29, 2025 Stellantis will have to shoulder a €1.5bn (£1.3bn) hit from President Donald Trump’s swingeing tariffs on cars this year despite the trade deal struck between the European Union and United States earlier this week. The automaker, whose stable of marques includes Vauxhall and Fiat, confirmed in a half-year update that it had already incurred levies [...]
The centre-right is in retreat across Europe: here’s how to restore it June 19, 2025 The centre-right dominated post-war European politics, but those days are over. To beat populist insurgents, conservatives must remember the ten Cs, says Joe Harrison Squeezed between Labour and Reform, the Tories are in a desperate struggle for political breathing room. It is tempting to pin this relevance crisis on past blunders – Liz Truss’s infamous [...]
Israel-Iran conflict to dominate G7 meeting as Starmer calls for restraint June 16, 2025 The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran is likely to be high on the agenda as world leaders gather in Canada on Monday. Sir Keir Starmer said that the G7 meeting in Alberta would provide an opportunity for allies to make the case for de-escalation in the “fast moving” situation in the Middle East, with President Trump [...]
European bond rout worsens ahead of pivotal defence summit March 6, 2025 European bond yields continued to climb on Thursday as traders weighed expectations of higher borrowing from major European economies, which is expected to boost defence spending. German bonds suffered their worst day since the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Wednesday, after soon-to-be Chancellor Friedrich Merz laid out a bumper package [...]
German elections: Merz signals need for ‘independence’ from US February 24, 2025 Friedrich Merz, who is set to become the new German chancellor, has vowed to prioritise European unity and “independence” from the US. The snap German election, which saw the Conservative CDU/CSU alliance win with 28.6 per cent of the vote, came as Europe grapples with US President Donald Trump and Russia’s war on Ukraine. Merz, [...]
A seismic election won’t deliver the change Germany needs February 24, 2025 Friedrich Merz has emerged victorious in a general election which saw dramatic changes in German politics – but given that his party is responsible for many of the country’s problems, a radical about turn looks unlikely, says Rainer Zitelmann Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) emerged victorious in Germany’s general election, securing 28.6 per [...]