What do Germany's election results mean for Asia ties?
Germany's conservative Union of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) won Sunday's national election, putting CDU leader Friedrich Merz on the cusp of becoming the next chancellor of Europe's largest economy.
The election comes amid strained relations between the European Union and the United States as President Donald Trump implements sharp policy changes regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, his aides' support for right-wing populist movements on the continent and the administration's proposed tariffs on European imports, among other issues.
The tensions have fuelled calls for the EU to reduce its reliance on the United States for defense and rethink its global partnerships.
Merz said Europe needed to "achieve independence" from the US and called for a strengthening of defense cooperation within the EU bloc.
(Source:DW)
