Germany’s likely next leader seeks approval for huge defence package

Friedrich Merz attends a meeting of the German parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP)

Germany’s would-be next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is asking legislators to allow the country to put “whatever it takes” into defence as doubts mount about the strength of the trans-Atlantic alliance.

The outgoing parliament is set to meet for a final time to vote on the plans as Mr Merz’s centre-right Union bloc works to put together a governing coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz after winning last month’s election.