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.

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.

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

Germany has the confidence and capacity to lead Europe, but, ahead of Angela Merkel’s expected re-election, that doesn’t mean its partners have to like it, writes John Lloyd.    

Germany's parliament has voted to legalise same-sex marriage.

There was a lot of fuss around Leinster House this week in anticipation of the arrival of EU Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, writes Juno McEnroe.

Before UK prime minister Theresa May surprised markets with a snap general election, 2017 was already the year of political risk for Europe.

If Britain’s Theresa May concedes too much to those right-wing Brexiteers and Euroskeptics, she could make it impossible to reach a final agreement with Europe, writes Robert Harvey

Article 50 of the EU Treaties sets out a clear two-year deadline for completion of the withdrawal negotiations.

The Netherlands election has energised traditional parties across Europe from left and right, with Dutch voters showing Europe that populism is not always inevitable, suggest Raf Casert and Angela Charlton. 

Political polling, at least the kind made public, was once thought of as a science but recent, contrary-to-predictions results have made a reappraisal of polling methodology necessary.

Donald Trump has been urged to commit to strengthening relations with the European Union, including on Russia's actions in the Ukraine and the future of the troubled US-EU trade deal.

MEPs Steven Woolfe and Mike Hookem have been reported to French police over their altercation at the European Parliament which plunged crisis-hit Ukip into further turmoil.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

Ana Palacio fears that the future safety of Europe has been jeopardised by Britain leaving the EU, with national interests returning to the fore for member states.

Nigel Farage told fellow MEPs “you’re not laughing now”, as he was barracked and booed at an emergency meeting of the European Parliament to discuss Brexit.

“The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new”

A Saudi blogger sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for insulting Muslim clerics has won the European Union’s Sakharov Prize for human rights.

A pan-European consumer rights body has voiced its opposition to the controversial investor dispute mechanism touted as part of a transatlantic trade deal.

Europe correspondent, Ann Cahill, delivers her weekly briefing on Euro affairs from the European Parliament.

One by one, thousands of mourners filed past the white-lined coffin of slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov yesterday, many offering flowers as they paid their last respects to one of the most prominent figures of Russia’s opposition.

European Union leaders will create a strategic investment fund that could generate up to €315bn in private and public-sector money to upgrade infrastructure, jump-start sluggish economies and ignite job growth.

There are no plans to change procedures in the European Parliament when members fail to attend, a spokesperson for the office of the president has said.

Members of the European Parliament have been assured they need not fear court action from Commissioner designate Phil Hogan if they ask him questions about his alleged actions in the past.

Legal warnings, including a threat of court action against an Irish MEP, from Ireland’s Commissioner designate, Phil Hogan, is threatening to become a major issue at his parliament hearing next week.

Ukraine’s parliament yesterday ratified an agreement to deepen economic and political ties with the EU and passed legislation to grant autonomy to the rebellious east as part of a peace deal.

German Socialist Martin Schulz became the first person to be elected president of the European Parliament for the second time when he got more than 50% of the votes in the first round.

With the EPP returned as the parliament’s largest party, it looks inevitable that Jean-Claude Juncker will become president of the European Commission, writes Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill

As heads rolled over the European Parliament election results in several countries, French president François Hollande went on TV to respond to the shock victory of far-right Front National.

Far-right and Eurosceptic parties have made sweeping gains in European Parliament elections, triggering what one prime minister called a political "earthquake" by those seeking to slash the EU's powers or abolish it altogether.

Eurosceptic parties to the right and left of the political centre have been the big winners in the European Parliament elections.

British prime minister David Cameron will be forced to step up his drive to claw back powers from the EU to head off a challenge to his leadership after losing votes to the anti-EU UK Independence Party, its leader Nigel Farage said.

The change in how the top jobs in the EU are allocated, coupled with the rise of anti-austerity parties, could produce a very different parliament, writes Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill.

The President of the European Parliament said the EU owes Ireland thanks.

Oh, how embarrassing. You’re in the middle of a furious, relationship- ending row, and suddenly the doorbell rings and you remember this is the night you invited the neighbours over for drinks.

Embattled Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore vowed to campaign for MEP Phil Prendergast — even though she does not think he is fit to be Labour leader.