Germany news: Fall of global order threatens Europe, Asia, Merz says

Germany news: Fall of global order threatens Europe, Asia, Merz says October 27, 2026What you need to know - German Chancellor Merz is on a multi-day tour of Asia to promote new forms of cooperation and trade - Germany's defense minister calls for 'stronger Europe for stronger NATO' - Court to decide whether to proceed with case against Nord Stream sabotage suspect Keep reading for a roundup of what's making news in Germany on Tuesday, October 27, 2026: Don't want to miss our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Merz: Collapse of global order threatens middle powers in Europe and Asia In Singapore, to start a four-day business-oriented trip that will also bring him to Japan and South Korea, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said it was up to European and Asian nations to find their spot amid a changing global order. "We must assert our interests in an international environment shaped by renewed great-power rivalry," Merz said. With a view to unpredictable tariffs imposed by the United States under President Donald Trump and trade restrictions from China, Merz emphasized the stability offered by Germany and the rest of Europe. "This is a deliberate counterpoint to what we are currently seeing. We want to do things differently, and we want to show that there is a better way," Merz said, adding that Europe sought to expand partnerships to increase free trade with open competition, reliability and a rules-based order. He also called for increased international investment and cooperation. "Under the federal government I lead, investment opportunities will be continuously improved," Merz said following a meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. "I encounter a great deal of confidence here in Germany and in Europe as locations for investment." The German leader called for a new free-trade agreement between the 27-member European Union and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), comprising 12 countries across five continents, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Neither the United States nor China is part of the CPTPP. For his part, Wong said investment in Germany and Europe would continue. "Many of our investors, including our sovereign wealth funds, have been investing in Germany for a long time," Wong said. "They will continue to invest because they are confident that, in the long term, Germany and Europe have potential." Merz and Wong agreed their nations would work to expand cooperation in security and defense as well as trade, investment, sustainable energy and artificial intelligence. Welcome to our coverage Guten Morgen and welcome to our daily coverage of what's making news in Germany. While we follow the news here in Berlin and Bonn, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is in Singapore, speaking about international cooperation among middle-power countries in Europe and Asia amid a "renewed great-power rivalry." Today, we're also expecting a decision on whether to proceed with a case against a Nord Stream sabotage suspect and a report on Germany's ongoing search for a nuclear waste storage facility. Not to mention a car ramming last night near the northern German city of Hannover that has left several people with serious injuries, while the suspects are still on the run.