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Angela Merkel held exploratory talks with Martin Schulz earlier this month

German SPD votes for coalition talks with Merkel

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) voted today to begin formal coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, moving Europe's economic powerhouse one step closer to a stable government after months of political deadlock.

World • 21 Jan 18

Angela Merkel and SPD leader Martin Schulz say they are optimistic of a deal being done

Breakthrough in German coalition talks - sources

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats have agreed on a blueprint for formal coalition negotiations, party sources said, bolstering prospects for an end to months of political uncertainty.

Europe • 13 Jan 18

The German ZEW institute's monthly barometer measuring economic expectations fell 1.3 points to 17.4

German investor mood slips as coalition talks drag on

Confidence among German investors fell back more sharply than expected in December, with financial players worried Berlin's struggles to form a government could impact Brexit talks and EU reform plans.

Business • 12 Dec 17

The euro managed to notch its biggest weekly performance in more than two months last week

Euro sits at 2 month highs as China stocks selloff eyed

The euro consolidated gains today after hitting a two-month high in earlier trade as a deepening selloff in Chinese stocks prompted investors to take profits on some long bets.

Business • 27 Nov 17

Ms Merkel said she would stay on as acting chancellor

Merkel 'ready' to lead party in case of new election

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that she was ready to lead her party into snap elections, rather than risk leading an unstable minority government, after the collapse of the formation of a three-way coalition government.

Europe • 20 Nov 17

Angela Merkel speaking at a ceremony in Wittenberg, scene of the first move of the Reformation

Merkel calls for religious freedom and tolerance

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for religious freedom and tolerance at a ceremony on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Wittenberg, where Martin Luther is said to have nailed his theses challenging Catholicism to a church door.

Reformation Day • 31 Oct 17

Leo Varadkar said he is confident that a hard Brexit can be achieved

Taoiseach says a hard Brexit 'can be avoided'

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he believes there will not be a hard Brexit.

News • 20 Oct 17

Angela Merkel (L) and Emmanuel Macron have expressed differing sentiments on EU reform

Macron calls on Merkel to consider eurozone budget

French President Emmanuel Macron has pleaded his case for ambitious European reforms, appealing to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to join forces with him and enter the debate.

Europe • 10 Oct 17

Angela Merkel's handling of the 2015 migrant crisis damaged her party in the election

Merkel begins tough coalition talks following election

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has begun the tough task of trying to build a coalition government after securing a fourth term as chancellor in an election which saw her support slide and the far right making significant gains.

World • 25 Sep 17

Angela Merkel (centre) and her CDU party members react to the exit polls this evening

Merkel hangs on to power but loses support to far right

German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term in office today but Europe's most powerful leader will have to govern with a far less stable coalition in a fractured parliament after her conservatives haemorrhaged support to a surging far right.

Europe • 24 Sep 17

Merkel: The world's most powerful woman

Likely to win a fourth term in office, Angela Merkel could go on to become Germany's longest serving Chancellor.

News • 24 Sep 17

Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and her main election rival Martin Schultz in tv debate from earlier in the campaign

Merkel, Schulz urge undecided Germans to vote

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, poised to win a fourth term in tomorrow's election, and her centre-left challenger Martin Schulz urged undecided Germans to use their votes with a third of the electorate still undecided.

News • 23 Sep 17

Recep Erdogan and Angela Merkel met at the G20 summit in Hamburg in July

Erdogan says Merkel is an enemy of Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said German Chancellor Angela Merkel is an enemy of Turkey.

Turkey • 18 Aug 17

Merkel open to creation of eurozone budget

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is open to the creation of a finance minister and budget for the eurozone as proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

World • 13 Jul 17

World leaders gather at the G20 summit in Hambury

Officials thrashing out G20 communique face long night

Nearly all G20 leaders agreed today on the need for free and fair trade, but some differences of opinion mean officials drafting the summit's final communique still had a long night's work ahead.

Business • 07 Jul 17

Angela Merkel said there were obvious differences between her and Donald Trump on climate change

Merkel says climate change 'an existential challenge'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that Europe is "more determined than ever" to fight climate change after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris agreement.

Paris Agreement • 29 Jun 17

Angela Merkel and other senior German politicians stressed the importance of Germany's ties with the US

Merkel stresses US ties after critical Trump tweet

US President Donald Trump has said that Germany's trade and spending policies are "very bad", intensifying a row between the longtime allies.

US • 31 May 17

Angela Merkel raised the issue earlier this week when she met Vladimir Putin

Putin backs probe into attacks on gay men in Chechnya

Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed an official check into reported brutal attacks on gay men in Chechnya in his first public comment after German Chancellor Angela Merkel confronted him on the issue.

Russia • 05 May 17

Angela Merkel also said talks on Britain's financial obligations to the EU would have to be addressed early on in the talks

Merkel warns Britons over Brexit 'illusions'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told Britons not to delude themselves that they would continue to enjoy European Union rights after Brexit and insisted the bloc would only agree on future ties with London after they have nailed down a deal to leave.

Business • 27 Apr 17

A memorial event for homosexuals persecuted by the Nazis held in Berlin earlier this year

Germany to clear gays convicted under Nazi-era law

The German government has approved plans to quash the convictions of 50,000 men sentenced for homosexuality under a Nazi-era law which remained in force after the war, and offer compensation.

Europe • 22 Mar 17

Martin Schulz is the former president of the European Parliament

Schulz to challenge Merkel in German election

Germany's Social Democrats have formally endorsed former European Parliament president Martin Schulz as their leader and challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in what is set to be a tightly contested national election in September.

Politics • 19 Mar 17

Angela Merkel hinted at differences during press conference

Trump reiterates support for NATO during Merkel visit

President Donald Trump reiterated his strong support for NATO and pressed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet NATO's military spending target, in the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.

News • 18 Mar 17

Donald Trump and Angela Merkel will meet for the first time soon having kept their distance so far

Trump and Merkel set for first meeting this month

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is planning to meet US President Donald Trump for the first time in Washington on March 14.

World • 03 Mar 17

Mike Pence said he spoke for Donald Trump when he promised an 'unwavering' commitment to the NATO military alliance

Pence pledges US will stand firm with Europe, NATO

US Vice President Mike Pence brought a message of support for Europe from Donald Trump, but failed to wholly reassure allies worried about the new president's stance on Russia and the European Union.

News • 18 Feb 17

BMW employs 8,000 workers in Britain to make Rolls Royce and Mini cars

German car firms fear worst on post-Brexit tariffs

Germany's auto industry is losing hope that trade tariffs with Britain can be avoided, despite warnings from British Prime Minister Theresa May that an overly tough stance on post-Brexit commerce would seriously harm the country's EU partners.

Brexit • 31 Jan 17