Candidate for Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz plans to introduce a ban on the entry of illegal migrants into the country. He intends to do this on his first day in office as head of the government,

BERLIN (Reuters) - German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, tipped to become the next chancellor, said on Thursday he wanted to win back the lost trust of key allies and ensure Berlin is more assertive on the global stage in a speech laying out his foreign policy plans.

Friedrich Merz, the conservative front-runner in the race for Germany’s chancellorship, called for a radical overhaul of the country’s migration policy including permanent border checks. The comments come after an asylum seeker from Afghanistan was taken into custody over a fatal stabbing of a two-year-old child and a man in a park on Wednesday.

The conservative leader wants to impose strict border controls after knife killings in Aschaffenburg this week.

Germany's election frontrunner says Europeans are waiting for Germany to take the lead on dealing with the new American president.

German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz reacts during the 55th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21,

Germany's conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz, frontrunner in polls to become the next chancellor, on Tuesday urged a united European stance in talks with US President Donald Trump.