The biggest danger we face is not a straightforward revival of fascism, but rather a creeping shift in traditional conservatism towards the extreme populist right, says Michael Burleigh.

The euro hit new year-to-date lows against the dollar last week as the currency’s political sensitivity returned to the forefront of investor concern.

As usual Ireland’s presidential election was a fractious affair, which demonstrates just how worked up and vitriolic people can become in relation to an issue that is of trivial significance, at best, writes Jim Power.

Evolutionary psychology, which stresses competition for females, can add another dimension to our understanding of anti-immigrant mood, says Daniel Gros.

At a moment of unnerving American nativism, Russia’s international subversion of democracy, Chinese expansionism, and European uncertainty driven by a divided Britain’s unhappiness, anything that represents a continuum of live-and-let-live liberal democracy is to be welcomed.

World markets spluttered, irked by the failure of German coalition talks which sent the euro and the price of oil lower.

Europeans must find solutions to shared problems, with Germany and France leading the way as they did in the past, says Guy Verhofstadt.

The co-chairwoman of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party said today she plans to leave it just two days after it made a strong showing in the country's elections.

The euro and European government bond yields slipped after the EU’s most powerful leader, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, won a fourth term but faced a fractured parliament as support for the far right surged.

Alternative for Germany (AfD) was founded four years ago at the height of the eurozone crisis, when opposition to a German bailout of other countries using the common currency was strong.

German chancellor Angela Merkel has won a fourth term, but now faces the tricky prospect of forming a coalition with two disparate new partners after voters weakened her conservatives and a nationalist, anti-migrant party surged into parliament.

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin.

Germany has spoken and, as ever since 1945, it sends in its election results mixed messages, thanks in part to a constitution designed to prevent one party getting an overall majority in the Bundestag.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc has won a lacklustre victory in Germany’s national election while the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party managed a triumphant entry into parliament, projections have shown.

Latest: Angela Merkel has conceded that "of course we would have preferred a better result, that's completely clear".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged her supporters to keep up the momentum in the final hours before tomorrow's national election, urging a last push to try to sway undecided voters.

The horrors of Nazism and a consistently robust economy have inoculated the country from extremism, but undercurrents of discontent should not be ignored, says Michael Bröning

DESPITE the sobering lessons inflicted on crystal ball gazers by Brexit, the elevation of President Trump and humiliation of Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May in last June’s

A nationalist party that wants Germany to close its borders to migrants, leave Europe's common currency and end sanctions against Russia is predicted to enter parliament for the first time this month.

The French president has to build consensus across the spectrum to make his eurozone vision work, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

It will be on the last Sunday in September.

As Germany tries to come to terms with the latest terror attack to hit Europe, Angela Merkel must ready for the populist hard-right declarations, writes Josh Lowe

A top member of a rising nationalist party has been criticised after reportedly saying many people would not want Jerome Boateng, a German international footballer whose father was born in Ghana, as their neighbour.

Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to press on with her refugee policy despite seeing her Christian Democrats (CDU) party punished by voters who flocked to the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Sunday’s three regional polls.

A nationalist, anti-migration party has powered into three German state legislatures in elections held amid divisions over chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal approach to the refugee crisis.

Get a taste of some of the interesting and quirky happenings in Europe from our Europe correspondent, Ann Cahill.

Germany’s interior ministry dismissed remarks from a populist politician who called for police to be given powers to use firearms against illegal migrants, pointing out such shootings would be illegal.

Germany’s anti-immigrant movement Pegida isn’t some sinister Russian plot. Instead, it is striking for the ordinariness of the people it attracts and must be taken seriously, writes Lucian Kim

A day after calling Islam part of Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said her government would use all means at its disposal to fight intolerance and discrimination, calling the exclusion of certain groups from society “humanly reprehensible”.

Nick Clegg has accused Ukip leader Nigel Farage of using the Paris shooting to make “political points” and to imply British Muslims are “part of the problem”.

The impact of the economic crisis has seen an increase in popularity for the more radical political parties, but how will the EU cope if they win power and how will the markets react?

The centre has held in Europe with the pro-EU parties taking most of the seats, says Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill.

Angela Merkel was on track to win a third term as chancellor in a German election after her conservatives scored their best result in decades, but it was unclear whether she could avoid being forced into a coalition with her leftist rivals.

Chancellor Angela Merkel looked on track to win a third term in this weekend’s election in Germany but faced a battle to preserve her centre-right majority and avert a potentially divisive coalition with her arch rivals, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).

A new eurosceptical party is on the brink of entering the German parliament for the first time, an opinion poll showed, casting doubt on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s bid to maintain her centre- right coalition and complicating her eurozone policy.

The younger your kids drink the more likely they are to suffer alcohol-related problems later in their lives, a new study reveals. Arlene Harris reports.