WHAT TO EXPECT FROM GERMANY’S NEXT GOVERNMENT - Join the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center for a discussion on what to expect from the new government in Germany, under the leadership of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

On May 6, the German Bundestag will vote to confirm Friedrich Merz as the next German chancellor, succeeding Olaf Scholz, who has served in the post since 2021. Along with Merz, a new government will take office in Berlin across federal ministries and the chancellery, based on the coalition agreement drafted by the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union and Social Democratic Party following February’s parliamentary elections.

The foreign policy challenges facing the new government are manifold, as Europe contends with an increasingly volatile global economy, Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine amid US-inspired negotiations, great power competition between the United States and China, and uncertainty about the future of the transatlantic partnership. The stakes and the expectations for Germany’s new leadership are high as Merz and his cabinet take over.

Against this backdrop, the Europe Center will convene an expert discussion to explore what Berlin’s allies in Washington and around the world should expect from the new government on foreign policy, defense, the European Union, and economic policy.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 05/06/2025