German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did not rule out common European Union borrowing for defence during a trip to Brussels on Friday, but said it must be for exceptional circumstances and voiced concern about rising global debt.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for the lifting of all tariffs between the United States and the European Union in his first telephone call with US President Donald Trump. "I told him that I don't think it's a good idea to escalate this customs dispute,

How difficult his chancellery could be became apparent when he failed to get confirmed in a first round of voting Tuesday.