TOM KREBS is Professor of Economics at the University of Mannheim, member of the German Minimum Wage Commission, and former Senior Adviser at the German Finance Ministry.

Friedrich Merz succeeded in his bid to become the next German chancellor during a second vote in parliament, hours after he suffered a historic defeat in the first round.

Mr. Merz needed two rounds of voting to become chancellor after a surprising defeat in Parliament hours earlier that threatened to hobble his new government.

Meanwhile, Germany has banned the far-right anti-constitutional group "Kingdom of Germany." German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, accompanied by his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, is to visit Jerusalem as part of events to mark 60 years since diplomatic ties were established between Israel and Germany.

The conservative politician had unexpectedly failed to secure enough support in the initial round of parliamentary voting.

Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, called for the repeal of the CSDDD during his inaugural visit to the European Commission on May 9,

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz failed to secure enough parliamentary votes to become chancellor in a major blow.

Supporters of Mr. Merz, a former corporate lawyer, say he is well-prepared and thoughtful, but critics accuse him of failing to think more than one step ahead and breaking promises.

Incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz in Valencia, Spain, on Tuesday. (Eva Manez/Reuters) BERLIN — The sturdiest pillars of Germany’s domestic and international identity have been ...

Germany's newly-minted Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited US President Donald Trump to visit his ancestral home in the Palatinate region of western Germany during a future trip. "I have invited him to come to Germany and visit us in his hometown of Bad Dürkheim.