Provisional results confirm that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest

Wall Street struggled for traction on Monday, ending mixed after slumping last week, while German election results buoyed German shares and Europe's single currency as investors waited for midweek results from artificial intelligence chip leader Nvidia.

Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union Friedrich Merz participates in a panel discussion during the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.

Friedrich Merz, the frontrunner to be Germany’s next chancellor, said he’s open to considering common European Union borrowing for defense, a potential game-changer as the bloc responds to Russian aggression and fading US engagement.

Germany's likely next chancellor, a conservative, Friedrich Merz warned Europe should seek "independence" from the US as it grapples with the Trump administration's lack of support for Ukraine. France's Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron made very clear he believes Putin was "the aggressor" in Ukraine.

Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics Podcast, Carl Cannon spoke with historian and Council on Foreign Relations fellow Liana Fix about the recent election results in Germany, where the mainstream conservative party led by Friedrich Merz captured the most votes and the further-right Alternative For Deutschland (AfD) party took second place.

Germany's likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday he had invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit and would find a way for him to do so without being arrested under a warrant by the International Criminal Court.

Merz prioritizes Ukraine and US, vows to tackle migration and economy after German election win BERLIN (AP) — Provisional results confirm that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's national election,

Frankfurt equities and the euro rose Monday after conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's national election, with investors hoping that Europe's largest economy can emerge from recession.