By Markus Wacket and Matthias Williams BERLIN, May 15 (Reuters) - Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in contrite mood as his popularity among voters sags, said on Friday he had to improve his ability to communicate,

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition broke a deadlock on energy and resolved to push through a broader set of reform measures by parliamentary recess in July after a meeting aimed at regaining momentum.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday called for a revamp of what he cast as the European Union's ‌outdated budget system, backing a streamlined approach that prioritised investing in defence and ‌making the bloc more competitive.

In a post on X, Merz said both US and Germany agreed that Iran must return to negotiations, the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened, and Tehran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated his opposition to issue additional joint debt to strengthen European competitiveness during a speech in Aachen on Thursday, in response to Mario Draghi’s acceptance speech for the Charlemagne Prize.

EADaily, May 14th, 2026. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a visit to Slovakia because of the trip of Prime Minister Robert Fico to Moscow for the celebration of May 9. This was announced by former Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korchok,