Frontrunner for chancellor expresses doubts over US Nato commitments, with the far-right AfD set for its best result

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

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said after his unofficial victory Sunday that a top priority is to make his country and the rest of Europe stronger so that they can become independent from the U.S. with President Donald Trump in office.

Chancellor-in-waiting may ask for shelter under UK and France’s nuclear umbrella as he calls for Europe to build up its defence capabilities

Friedrich Merz’s conservatives triumphed in Germany’s elections, obtaining over 28% of the vote, as the far-right AfD gained over 20%. Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD suffered a historic defeat with just 16%,

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 potential next Chancellor Friedrich Merz questions NATO's future due to U.S. President Trump's statements. Merz suggests Europe must quickly build its own defense capabilities as the U.S. refocuses its security priorities.

Europe must seek to “achieve independence” from the United States, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said after his opposition conservatives won elections on Sunday, in a vote that also saw surging support for the far-right.

Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc won 28.6% of the votes, followed by 20.8% for the far-right Alternative for Germany, according to the provisional vote count by the Federal Returning Officer. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats finished third with 16.4%, the party’s worst result since World War II.