World News: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a blunt and revealing speech in Stockholm during an event hosted by Sweden’s Moderate Party, where he openly admitted Germany is “moving away from ideology and toward greater pragmatism” as Europe faces mounting security, migration, and economic pressures.Speaking alongside Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Europe Day, Merz praised Sweden’s reforms and NATO leadership while outlining Germany’s dramatic policy shifts on defense, migration, energy, and economic strategy.“We are reshaping the energy transition. Moving away from ideology and toward greater pragmatism,” Merz declared, signaling a major shift in Germany’s political and economic direction.The German chancellor also admitted governing with coalition partners “isn’t always easy,” but argued it was necessary to prevent what he called “radical forces” and “pro-Russian politicians” from gaining influence in Germany and Europe.Merz warned that “Russia poses an imminent threat to us” and pledged to transform Germany’s military into “the strongest conventional army in Europe.” He also highlighted Germany’s tougher migration policies, claiming illegal migration had been reduced by 70% compared to 2023.During the speech, Merz repeatedly stressed European unity, NATO cooperation, and stronger support for Ukraine, while praising Sweden for joining NATO and boosting defense spending. He argued that Europe must become stronger economically and militarily amid growing geopolitical instability. “Europe needs Germany. But Germany needs Europe as well,” Merz told the audience, calling for deeper cooperation among European allies.keywords: friedrich merz, merz, germany, sweden, nato, europe, ukraine war, russia, german chancellor, germany migration policy, energy transition, europe news, germany news, european union, world news, merz speech, stockholm event, ukraine, nato expansion, german politics, defense policy, geopolitics, breaking news, europe politics, sweden nato

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