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, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has pledged to impose tough border controls if elected chancellor in next month's vote. View on euronews

Germany’s conservative candidate, Friedrich Merz, suggested he’d push through tougher migration measures even with AfD support.

Opposition head Friedrich Merz is calling for reforms to Germany's migration laws after a deadly knife attack in which an Afghan man facing deportation is the main suspect - even if they pass with support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

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.