Off the football field, Laschet assures the Germans they can continue to pretend to be weak

The front-runner to succeed Merkel has perfected the art of making not having a row, indeed not making a decision, sound reasonable.

Adrian Lee: Nord Stream 2. How Russia could turn off half Germany’s gas supply – and so threaten our collective security.

It may gradually slide down the road to a more neutralist position in the years ahead – to paraphrase William Hague “In NATO, but not run by NATO.”

“We have been surprised by the EU’s willingness to resort quite quickly to threats”. Lord Frost’s Königswinter speech.

“We do have a challenge…it is to respond to the new political configuration here without falling into the trap of statism.”

Leon Mangasarian: Merkeldämmerung. It is past time that the German Chancellor stepped down.

Merkel’s sixteen years are marked by high poll ratings but few concrete achievements, and a discreditable closeness to dictators.

Ed Birkett: Biden will spend big to help slow climate change. Johnson won’t. He doesn’t need to. Here’s why.

Splashing taxpayers’ cash is the President’s only reliable option. The Prime Minister has other tools at his disposal.

Garvan Walshe: Merkeldammerung. Germany’s polls put the Greens within striking distance of government.

A traffic light coalition? A Jamaica coalition? Who knows? What’s certain is that the CDU/CSU is struggling amidst a fragmenting landscape.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine. A run down of the developments across Europe as extreme caution takes hold.

The suspension of the vaccine will lead to more problems in areas that are already struggling with their roll outs.

Macron and others played politics with AstraZeneca. The consequences for many EU citizens are fatal.

Some leaders realise the seriousness of the problem. Merkel’s spokesman has pleaded with Germans to take the “safe and highly effective” jab.

Oborne condemns Johnson as a liar – and cannot understand why many voters believe the Prime Minister is telling the truth

This book exemplifies the addiction to indignant moralising which blinds so many political commentators to the true nature of their own country.

Daniel Hamilton: So we have a new CDU Chairman. Will a CDU-Green coalition follow after Germany’s federal election?

A Green Minister-President has governed Baden-Württemberg in coalition with the CDU for more than a decade, implementing a pro-business agenda.

Vaccine strategies in Europe. France battles anti-vaxxers, while Merkel is blamed for procurement failures.

Both countries have had difficulties accelerating the speed at which they vaccinate. So what factors have been to blame?

The biggest decision has already been taken. We have left the EU. So let’s treat whatever comes next as an opportunity.

If no good deal comes and No Deal happens, the option of a return to EU membership is no longer on the table.

Johnson to fly to Brussels. Triumph, sellout, last-ditch gamble – or simply showing willing before talks collapse?

The commonsense presumption must be that he wouldn’t be going at all were a deal not at least possible.

The Government is up against the clock to justify its next set of restrictions – as the Covid Recovery Group grows

Even if the Government ends lockdown on December 2, it will be under pressure to prove why some areas should be under a tiered system.

Stephen Booth: The Brexit trade talks, the romance and realities of fishing, and its crucial importance for Scotland

Macron has been steadfast in his belief that the EU should stand firm on access to UK waters. He may be forced to compromise, however.