Friedrich Merz's conservatives and the leaders of Germany's center-left Social Democrats reached a coalition agreement on Wednesday. The agreement comes amid intense pressure on German politicians to form a new government that can confront the historic challenges of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and the threat posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We have a strong plan ahead of us with which we can move our country forward together again. Above all, it is a very strong and clear signal to the citizens of our country, but also to our partners in the European Union. Germany is getting a government that is capable and strong," Merz said, A2 writes.
The deal, which comes 45 days after Merz's conservatives won snap elections, was reached quickly by German standards, as post-election coalition negotiations can often take months.
The agreement paves the way for Merz, the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union, to be sworn in as Germany's next chancellor, likely in early May.
The coalition deal comes at a time of deep uncertainty for Germany and Europe after Trump last week imposed 20 percent tariffs on European Union goods, a move that could hit Germany's export-oriented economy particularly hard. It also comes as Merz vows to strengthen his country's military in response to the threat Putin poses to Europe and the weakening of the transatlantic alliance on which Germany has long depended for its defense.
Recent decisions by the US government "have caused new turbulence. We do not yet know which direction the international situation will take. But that is why our message today is even clearer: We want and will help shape changes in the world for Germany," Merz added. (A2 Televizion)
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