World War II chancellor, the culmination of a long political career that was once sidelined by his party’s iconic leader, Angela Merkel.

The agreement was concluded relatively quickly but still took about six and half weeks, during which the country had been virtually rudderless at a critical moment for Europe.

Christian Social Union (CSU) leader and Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder speaks during a press conference with Germany's chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) Friedrich Merz and co-leaders of the Social Democratic party (SPD) Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil,

Germany’s two major centrist parties have reached a coalition deal, the culmination of weeks of negotiations after the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged as winner in February’s federal election.

German conservatives under Friedrich Merz clinched a coalition deal with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) on Wednesday, aiming to revive growth in Europe's largest economy just as a global trade war threatens recession.

Friedrich Merz sealed a coalition deal with the Social Democrats, paving the way for the German conservative leader to become chancellor at a time of acute domestic and geopolitical turmoil.

Germany's chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) Friedrich Merz, Christian Social Union (CSU) leader and Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder, co-leaders of the Social Democratic party (SPD) Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil attend a press conference after reaching an agreement on their coalition government in Berlin,

Friedrich Merz, Germany's likely next chancellor, said U.S. President Donald Trump's pause of tariffs for 90 days was evidence of a united European approach to trade having a positive effect, and called for tariff-free U.