Burnham plans first visit to Berlin for talks with Merz

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is preparing to travel to Berlin in early October for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to two people familiar with the preparations for the visit.

It will be Burnham’s first trip to Germany since he became prime minister in July and will give the two leaders a chance to meet as Britain’s new government seeks to inject fresh energy into relations with one of its most important European partners.

Burnham took office on July 20, replacing Keir Starmer, whose government had come under mounting pressure following election losses, internal Labour Party disagreements and weak public support. Starmer’s departure marked the climax of a recent turbulent spell in office, in which domestic political problems increasingly dominated his government’s attention.

The leadership change came less than a year after Starmer and Merz had made a major effort to bring Britain and Germany closer together.

The two governments signed the Treaty of Kensington in July 2025. It set out plans for closer cooperation on defence and security, economic ties, transport and migration.

Defence has become one of the strongest parts of the relationship. Britain and Germany signed the Trinity House Agreement in October 2024, creating a framework for much closer military and defence-industrial cooperation. Since then, they have expanded work on joint weapons projects and military coordination, remaining major European backers of Ukraine.

Burnham now has the chance to give these efforts fresh political momentum as he defines his approach to Europe. He entered Downing Street promising an intense domestic focus, but has since launched a diplomatic campaign, including meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump.

While Burnham is enjoying an early wave of optimism about his leadership, he will meet a German government facing huge domestic pressures.

Merz’s Christian Democrats suffered deep losses in two midterm elections this month, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has gained support nationally. POLITICO’s poll of polls puts the AfD at 28 percent, ahead of the Christian Democrats at 20 percent.

For both governments, the October meeting offers an early chance to show that the closer relationship built over the past two years can continue under new political leadership in London.