World War II chancellor, the culmination of a long political career that was once sidelined by his party’s iconic leader, Angela Merkel.

The agreement was concluded relatively quickly but still took about six and half weeks, during which the country had been virtually rudderless at a critical moment for Europe.

Christian Social Union (CSU) leader and Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder speaks during a press conference with Germany's chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) Friedrich Merz and co-leaders of the Social Democratic party (SPD) Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil,

Germany’s two major centrist parties have reached a coalition deal, the culmination of weeks of negotiations after the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged as winner in February’s federal election.

Germany's conservative CSU approved a coalition deal with its CDU sister party and the Social Democrats (SPD) on Thursday, a day after they presented a programme to revive growth in Europe's biggest economy and take a tougher line on migration.

Germany's conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), one of the three partners in the incoming national government, has approved the parties' coalition agreement, dpa learnt on Thursday, one day after it was presented in Berlin.

Friedrich Merz, Germany's likely next chancellor, said U.S. President Donald Trump's pause of tariffs for 90 days was evidence of a united European approach to trade having a positive effect, and called for tariff-free U.

The next German governing coalition was formally unveiled in Berlin on Wednesday, paving the way for a new administration under conservative leader Friedrich Merz. "The future government, the future coalition,

Germany's conservatives under Friedrich Merz reach a deal with the Social Democrats to govern Europe's biggest economy.