German police have arrested a Polish-German national accused of running a dark web platform that called for the murder of prominent politicians and offered cryptocurrency rewards for successful attacks, prosecutors said Tuesday.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to reignite the long-standing Franco-German partnership, but deep policy divisions are already slowing progress.

Europe wants to cooperate with the United States, but the European Union (EU) is ready to respond with a united front to American tariffs.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged EU countries to bolster their defense capabilities.

In a widely anticipated outcome, Germany’s center-right CDU/CSU bloc, led by Friedrich Merz, secured victory in the early Bundestag elections. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved an unprecedented second-place finish, while the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz suffered a historic defeat, coming in third with its worst-ever electoral result.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he would continue to lead the government until a new ruling coalition is formed after early elections to the Bundestag (parliament) held on Sunday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the Social Democratic Party of Germany's result in the Bundestag (parliament) elections a defeat, admitting his responsibility for it.

Germany's political leaders are making their last-minute appeals to voters ahead of Sunday’s crucial election, which holds significant implications not only for the country but for Europe as a whole.