Germany’s conservatives choose the country’s probable next leader
Friedrich Merz is in pole position to take over as chancellor at the election in 2025
“FRIEDRICH MERZ is doing it, and I’m fine with that.” This brief statement by Markus Söder, the head of Bavaria’s governing Christian Social Union (CSU), was enough to confirm what had long been clear in German political circles: that Mr Merz, leader of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the CSU’s larger sibling, would be the parties’ joint candidate at next year’s federal election. Mr Merz will thus lead the opposition conservatives’ bid to unseat Olaf Scholz, the Social Democratic (SPD) chancellor.
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Russian missiles blast its cities, but it still cannot strike back
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From “whatever it takes” to “whatever the cost”
A northern Italian town bans cricket
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Poland’s ruling coalition divides over women’s rights
Donald Tusk has failed to keep his promises on abortion laws
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Scandals and scams are rife. The EU’s clean-up isn’t working fast enough