From left, Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union Friedrich Merz, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, panel moderator Katarzyna Pisarska and Czech

Friedrich Merz, the candidate of the mainstream conservative Christian Democratic Union party, reacts to the speech of Markus Soeder, leader of CSU and Minister-President of Bavaria, at the party head

Markus Soeder, leader of CSU and Minister-President of Bavaria, applauds while Friedrich Merz, right, the candidate of the mainstream conservative Christian Democratic Union party, addresses supporter

Friedrich Merz, a man who has never held a government role, is preparing to take the reins in Germany just as the country faces its biggest economic and diplomatic crises in decades and Europe looks urgently for a new generation of leaders for an era of transatlantic tension.

Friedrich Merz's CDU party emerged as the largest party in Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, earning 28.6% of the vote.

Germany once again has the luxury of forming a government from the political centre without major obstacles. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz is working overtime to warn Germans that the time of stagnation that prevailed under the former chancellor Olaf Scholz must come to an end.

The victory in the general elections in Germany was expected to be won by the CDU/CSU bloc. He will be asked to form a new government of the country. The new chancellor of Germany will be the leader of the Christian Democrats Friedrich Merz — a man hated by Angela Merkel.

The Christian Democrats won with 28.6% of the vote while the far-right Alternative for Germany came second with 20.8%.

After winning the German election, the conservative leader must navigate a new era without Washington as a close ally.

Friedrich Merz and his party won, Elon Musk didn’t seem to move voters, and more lessons from an early German vote with big implications for Europe.