Germany

The phones of German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and those of many of his ministry staff were systematically tapped by the US National Security Agency (NSA) in an eavesdropping operation that began at least 15 years ago, Mediapart can reveal in this report in collaboration with WikiLeaks. Confidential NSA documents obtained by WikiLeaks also disclose how Steinmeier, during his first term as foreign minister in 2005, “appeared relieved” to have been spared details of infamous rendition flights operated by the US over German airspace. Jérôme Hourdeaux and Mathieu Magnaudeix report.

Analysts say that while Germany remains EU's senior player, the debt talks saga has shown France can still be a key counterweight power.

Sepp Blatter says both French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German president intervened, leading to World Cup being staged in Qatar.

French president François Hollande calls for Greek deal now while Germans say there can be no agreement before Sunday's referendum.

French and German interior ministers said EU plan to resettle migrants across member states should 'take better account of efforts already made'.

Deal between Paris and Berlin on tighter political union seen as blow to British premier David Cameron's own hopes for treaty changes.

French officials said claims that Germany's BND agency had helped US spy on France were not new and that trust had since been 're-established'.

No official reaction from Paris over claims Angela Merkel's office knew German officials were carrying out economic espionage for the US.

Shared sorrow over Germanwings plane crash has brought two countries closer together, as shown at inter-government meeting in Berlin.

The key, say demographic experts, is combining idea of a modern family based on gender equality with effective government policies.

The move to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank was a snub to the US which rebuked the UK for strengthening Chinese influence.

Bogdan Aurescu apologised after handing his German counterpart a commemorative booklet with a map of France covered in the German flag.

Singer tells French radio that 'antisemitism is at an all-time high' and that continent - including France - ‘feels like Nazi Germany’.

Greece has been summoned by its international creditors to present a package of spending reforms by Monday evening that must be approved before a final decision is taken on whether to give Athens a crucial four-month extension of debt bailout loans. Despite the new Greek government’s earlier concessions towards austerity measures which it initially rejected, the country’s lenders, and above all Germany, appear intent on squeezing more political blood from the radical-left administration. But beyond the struggle to obtain the immediate financial lifeline, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is in for a long haul of future negotiations. Key to these is his demand that Germany recognise its massive debt to Greece in reparations of its wartime occupation of the country, and the repayment of a loan the Nazis imposed on Greece. The potential sums of these are staggering, and have been estimated, at the least, as represnting more than 160 billion euros - before interest. The issue is not only a financial one, but also embarrasses Berlin and Brussels by raking over the generous debt-forgiveness deal offered to Germany in 1953 in the name of European reconstruction. Mediapart Brussels correspondent Ludovic Lamant and former Athens correspondent Amélie Poinssot examine the legal arguments, and the evidence, behind the Greek claim.