Friedrich Merz becomes Germany’s chancellor—after a painful defeat
He needed an embarrassing second round of parliamentary voting to clinch it
The Economist › Europe
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Intrigue and attacks as the papal conclave begins
God only knows when the white smoke will emerge
Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting has a mercurial streak
Friedrich Merz’s career is one of unforced errors and puzzling missteps. But he is serious about Europe
New drones are sneaking past jammers on Ukraine’s front lines
A low-tech fix is delivering high-impact results
How new drones are sneaking past jammers on Ukraine’s front lines
A low-tech fix is delivering high-impact results
A pro-MAGA hard-right Romanian wins the first round of presidential elections
George Simion will face Nicusor Dan, a mainstream candidate
A pro-MAGA Romanian leads in round one of presidential elections
George Simion will face a mainstream candidate, but who?
Ukraine’s fighters fear Russian attacks and America’s ceasefire
On the front line they want peace, but not at any priceÂ
America and Ukraine agree on a minerals deal, a good omen for the peace process
But Russia and Ukraine remain far apart
A mineral deal with America points to a path ahead for Ukraine
Both Donald Trump and Ukraine’s diplomats will consider it a success