Friedrich Merz is poised to become Germany's next chancellor. There's no new government in Germany quite yet, but after Sunday's election, it's all but certain that Friedrich Merz of the conservative Christian Democratic Union will be the next chancellor.

Germany’s Friedrich Merz takes swipe at Trump and calls for ‘independence from the USA’ - Germany’s likely next chancellor has also questioned whether NATO will continue to exist

After his election win on Sunday, Friedrich Merz is set to take charge of Europe’s biggest economy with the US defense umbrella looking shakier than any time since the NATO alliance was founded and Donald Trump discussing the continent’s security with Vladimir Putin.