Germany’s Merkel vows to avoid tax increases, new debt

BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday appealed to fellow members of her Christian Democratic Union to back a coalition agreement with center-left Social Democrats, insisting that the new government would not allow new taxes or new public debt.

Merkel also underscored the need to rejuvenate the European Union, saying Europe needed to be a true player in global affairs to be taken seriously.