• April 18 2025
  Lunch with the FT

  German finance minister Jörg Kukies: ‘We’re all affected’

  The former Goldman Sachs banker on the impact of US tariffs, and his role in structuring Friedrich Merz’s €1tn spending plan

  
• April 11 2025
  News in-depthGerman economy

  Germany hides ‘Black Zero’ statue as era of spending begins

  Incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz has loosened deficit rules in a country deeply averse to public debt

  
• April 10 2025
  News in-depth

  ‘BlackRot’ coalition: Social Democrats dilute Merz’s pro-business agenda

  Economists disappointed at lack of bold structural reforms after €1tn spending package

  
• April 9 2025
  Germany’s Merz strikes coalition deal with Social Democrats

  Christian Democrat leader under pressure as far-right AfD tops poll for first time

  
• April 7 2025
  US tariffs create ‘urgent’ problem for Germany, says Merz

  Chancellor-in-waiting comments after Donald Trump announced 20% levies on all European exports

  
• April 1 2025
  Berlin seeks to deport EU citizens over pro-Palestinian protests

  Irish, Polish and US activists appeal rulings based on events at university sit-in against Israeli offensive in Gaza

  
• March 30 2025
  War in Ukraine

  Sanctions hurt EU more than Putin, says senior German politician

  Centre-right premier of Saxony latest to question curbs on Russia over Ukraine invasion

  
• March 27 2025
  Free LunchMartin Sandbu

  What’s the point of fiscal rules? Premium content

  Don’t let the budget rule tail wag the democratic dog

  
• March 27 2025
  News in-depth

  Merz’s ‘boy band’ faces rebellion by female MPs

  Chancellor-in-waiting has pushed back on gender parity request as the share of women CDU lawmakers slides

  
• March 21 2025
  ‘I don’t want to shower with Nazis’: FC Bundestag in crisis over AfD players

  Berlin court has ordered parliamentary squad to lift ban on far-right lawmakers

  
• March 21 2025
  Merz’s €1tn spending plan wins final approval

  Constitutional reform passes last legislative hurdle days before outgoing parliament’s term expires

  
• March 20 2025
  Constanze Stelzenmüller

  Opening Nord Stream 2 would be a catastrophic mistake

  Caught between Russia and an increasingly adversarial US, Germany’s ties to Europe are being tested

  
• March 19 2025
  FT News Briefing podcast11 min listen

  Boeing struggles in the final frontier

  A pair of astronauts stranded by a Boeing spacecraft have been rescued by SpaceX

  
• March 18 2025
  Germany’s parliament approves Merz’s €1tn spending plan

  Chancellor-in-waiting uses outgoing Bundestag to loosen debt brake and unleash investments in defence and infrastructure

  
• March 18 2025
  Merz ‘confident’ about Germany’s make-or-break spending vote

  Chancellor-in-waiting needs two-thirds majority in emergency session of outgoing Bundestag

  
• March 15 2025
  News in-depthGermany

  German army struggles to get Gen Z recruits ‘ready for war’

  Bundeswehr has a high dropout rate and the number of conscientious objectors is rising

  
• March 14 2025
  Germany’s Merz agrees spending deal with Greens

  Agreement paves way for flagship defence and infrastructure package to be adopted by parliament next week

  
• March 13 2025
  Germany’s Merz offers concessions to Greens over ‘historic’ spending plan

  Chancellor-to-be vows greater share of investments for green transition as outgoing Bundestag reconvenes to debate bills

  
• March 10 2025
  Germany’s Greens vow to block Merz’s flagship spending package

  Party officials reject €500bn infrastructure fund plan and change to debt borrowing rules to fund defence spending

  
• March 9 2025
  Martin Sandbu

  Berlin’s about-turn can get Europe more bang for the buck

  Even Germany’s frugal friends are undergoing policy and sentiment shifts

  
• March 8 2025
  The Big Read

  Can Germany spend its way out of industrial decline?

  Chancellor-to-be Friedrich Merz wants to expand investment in defence and infrastructure. The race to re-arm could be a much-needed boost for manufacturing

  
• March 8 2025
  EU defence

  France and Germany clash over ‘buy EU’ weapons

  Berlin says new €150bn funding for defence industry should be open to non-EU partners, but Paris disagrees

  
• March 6 2025
  News in-depthGerman economy

  Germany’s ‘whatever it takes’ spending push to end years of stagnation

  Europe’s largest economy could return to pre-pandemic growth trend

  
• March 5 2025
  EU defence

  Macron seeks talks on how French nuclear weapons could protect Europe

  France’s president proposes discussions with European allies amid fears about US pullback and threat from Russia

  
• March 5 2025
  The FT ViewThe editorial board

  The reawakening of Germany

  Berlin is moving towards providing economic and security leadership for Europe

  

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