Opposition leader Friedrich Merz, the frontrunner to become Germany's next chancellor, said the second presidency of Donald Trump would bring clarity for the European Union as he hosted conservative EU heavyweights in Berlin.

Germany hopes its economy, after shrinking for two years, can turn the corner in 2025, but Donald Trump's return to the White House threatens new headaches for Europe's largest economy.

Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in November 2024, the German state-owned news service Deutsche Welle published an article with the headline “Trump’s election victory is a nightmare for Germany.”

The EU's two leading members were reacting to the US president-elect's plans to acquire Denmark's autonomous territory.

India and China will continue to drive global economic growth in the next two years, while the United States could also benefit from a more neoliberal approach by the new administration. But Germany is lagging behind.

France and Germany on Wednesday warned Donald Trump against threatening "sovereign borders" after the US president-elect refused to rule out military action to take Greenland, an autonomous territory of European Union member Denmark.

The United States and Germany on Tuesday said they understand Türkiye’s security concerns on its border with Syria in connection with threats

Friedrich Merz, the chancellor candidate for the conservative Christian Democratic Union, acknowledged the need for a “major effort” to revive the economy as his party pledges to return German growth to 2 percent over the next five years through changes to the welfare and tax systems.

United States Army Garrison Benelux (USAG) in Dülmen Tower Barracks forged a partnership with NATO 1 German-Netherlands Corps (1GNC)

Germany’s economy, the largest in Europe, contracted for the second year in a row in 2024, official data showed Wednesday, underscoring the challenges facing the region as it tries to get economic growth back on track.

United States national team defender John Tolkin said he has regrets over his past activity on social media after joining Holstein Kiel in Germany.