As the far right surges, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s unpopular economic policies and gruff manner have failed to sway voters turned by rivals’ promises of easy fixes.

De Duitse bondskanselier Merz heeft beloofd aan te blijven nadat de radicaal-rechtse AfD bij twee deelstaatverkiezingen aanzienlijke winst boekte.

German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz (C) chats with colleagues prior to a meeting of the CDU and Christian Social Union (CSU) Bundes

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a stark warning Monday, declaring that Jewish life in Germany “is no longer safe” amid a surge in antisemitism. “The fact that Jewish life in Germany is no longer safe is the heaviest burden of recent years,

Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives posted their worst-ever result in a German state election, where exit polls showed his party with single-digit support in a northeastern Baltic coast region and trailing a far-left party in Berlin.

By James Mackenzie BERLIN, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Germany's far right and far left both made big gains in Sunday's state elections, exposing yet again the erosion of the political centre in Europe's largest economy as well as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's weakening hold on power.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has hit out at “destructive” populist parties gaining ground in Germany as he battles for his political future following a string of electoral victories for the far right. In a news conference on Monday,

Political shifts in Germany are being watched closely in Europe and beyond, Katya Adler writes.