Angela Merkel, whose successive governments demanded deep austerity from neighbours in the euro zone debt crisis, said the world now faced graver times that demanded an easing of Germany's totemic spending cap.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bavaria’s prime minister, Markus Soeder, said they’re open to reforming the country’s strict borrowing limits, signaling a departure from the traditional stance of the conservative Christian Democrats,

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken out in favour of reforming Germany's constitutional limit on government spending, the so-called debt brake, which is being hotly debated ahead of early elections next year.