German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, tipped to become the next chancellor, said on Thursday he wanted to win back the lost trust of key allies and ensure Berlin is more assertive on the global stage in a speech laying out his foreign policy plans.

The conservative leader wants to impose strict border controls after knife killings in Aschaffenburg this week.

Friedrich Merz, the leading candidate for the chancellery in Germany's upcoming election, said a leaked briefing by Germany's ambassador to the United States heavily criticising Donald Trump was damaging to the German government's reputation.

Merz, whose centre-right bloc currently tops the polls, is toughening his stance on migration ahead of federal elections next month. View on euronews

Germany’s opposition leader has vowed to bar people from entering the country without proper papers and to step up deportations if he is elected as chancellor next month.

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz proposes stricter measures against illegal migration following a violent attack by an Afghan asylum seeker. His plan includes permanent border controls, halting illegal entries,

After years in which Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been accused of treading lightly on European and world stages, conservative election front-runner Friedrich Merz has vowed a bold return to international affairs.

BERLIN - Ukraine must win the war against Russia, regain lost territory and be free to join military alliances, Mr Friedrich Merz - favourite to become Germany’s next chancellor - said on Jan 23. Mr Merz said he wants peace in Ukraine but not “at the price of submission to an imperialist power” and stressed that “Ukraine must win the war”.

Latest YouGov poll shows Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU/CSU bloc commanding 28% of voter support, leading Chancellor Scholz's Social Democrats by 9 percentage points - Anadolu Ajansı

Friedrich Merz, the conservative front-runner in the race to be Germany’s next chancellor, warned domestic companies against making bigger investments in China.Most Read from BloombergWhat Happened to Hanging Out on the Street?

Mr Merz argued the need “to negotiate with the American side from a position of strength”. Read more at straitstimes.com.

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that he met with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, just weeks before a federal election in Germany.