Europe Today Watch: tough love and record-low polls—inside the Friedrich Merz disaster One year into Friedrich Merz’s chancellorship, the honeymoon is long gone - and much of the damage is self-inflicted. What went wrong? 21/05/2026
Europe News Merz and Trump hold “good” phone call, German Chancellor says German Chancellor Merz said earlier phone discussions with US President Donald Trump included the situation of the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement that Tehran should not possess nuclear weapons. 15/05/2026
Europe News Merz doubles down on opposition to ‘Draghi-style’ common debt proposal German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated his opposition to issue additional joint debt to strengthen European competitiveness during a speech in Aachen on Thursday, in response to Mario Draghi’s acceptance speech for the Charlemagne Prize. 15/05/2026
Europe News Six takeaways from the European Political Community in Armenia From Mark Carney's headline-grabbing attendance to Roberta Metsola's sharp rebuke, Euronews breaks down the six takeaways from the European Political Community in Armenia. 04/05/2026
Europe News 'No strategy' behind Trump's withdrawal of NATO troops from Germany Trump did not warn allies prior to his abrupt announcement of the withdrawal of 5,000 active-duty troops from Germany. The sudden move came amid an ongoing feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, sparked by his criticism of the US' war in Iran, and Washington's strategy. 03/05/2026
Europe News After Orbán, the EU faces tough questions about Ukraine's accession The imminent departure of Viktor Orbán is forcing EU leaders to confront uncomfortable questions about Ukraine's accession process that the Hungarian veto had, until now, kept unanswered. 01/05/2026
World News Trump weighing US troop drawdown in Germany after Iran war feud Trump's threat comes after Merz earlier this week said that Washington was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership, criticising the US lack of strategy in the war. 30/04/2026
Europe News Merz suggests Ukraine’s EU bid may depend on territorial concessions German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Ukraine’s proposed timeline for EU membership is unrealistic, as debate over enlargement continues to intensify. “Zelenskyy had the idea of joining the EU on January 1, 2027. That will not work. Even January 1, 2028, is not realistic." 27/04/2026
World German police launch raids against Syrian trafficking ring Police believe the ring operated by using genuine residency documents issued to Syrian refugees in Germany, which were sent to people in Syria with a similar appearance. 21/04/2026
Europe News Europeans press ahead with Hormuz mission after Iran reopens strait Meeting in Paris, the leaders said that a neutral mission may still be needed to safeguard shipping and prevent renewed disruption in the vital trade route. 17/04/2026
Europe News Berlin and Kyiv seal sweeping pact on drones, data and missiles According to the Ukrainian president, who visited the German capital, at least 10 agreements were reached at the German-Ukrainian government consultations in Berlin - the first since 2004. 14/04/2026
Ukraine Zelenskyy to meet Germany's Merz in Berlin as Russia's war grinds on Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin as Germany emerges as Kyiv’s main backer amid stalled US-led peace talks. 14/04/2026
Germany Germany's Merz world's most unpopular head of government, poll shows Surveys show Friedrich Merz as the most unpopular leader across 24 democracies, far behind Narendra Modi, Lee Jae-myung and Andrej Babiš in approval. 13/04/2026
Germany Germany resumes talks with Iran, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Merz also said that the continued Israeli military campaign in Lebanon could jeopardise peace talks expected between the United States and Iran over the war in the Middle East. 09/04/2026
Business Germany and Italy propose EU ‘kill switch’ for global stablecoins Germany and Italy have proposed creating an EU regulatory framework for stablecoins to strengthen financial market safeguards, shifting the discussion from the technical to the political level. 02/04/2026
Germany Germany and Syria 'working jointly' on refugee returns, Merz says On his first trip to Germany since ousting his country's longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria's interim leader pledged to work with Germany to enable more Syrians to return. 30/03/2026