Social Democrat (SPD) leader and incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed an historic three-way coalition this week with the Greens and Free Democrats. SPD’s Europe negotiator in the coalition talks, Udo Bullmann, said the government will be seeking a closer relationship with Europe and suggested this would be easier because Brexit has been finalised.

       He told German magazine Der Spiegel: “Germany needs to send a signal in which direction the German government would like the European Union to develop.

       “We are not despondent, we don’t look back and we don’t have the Brexit shock in our bones.

       “We want to take courageous steps towards integration because we know that time is short and people are waiting for them.”

       The direction of the new regime has also started to take shape after the Green party’s co-leader Annalena Baerbock, an ardent europhile, was appointed foreign minister.

       The debate come to light once again in the summer after Joe Biden took the unilateral decision to remove US troops from Afghanistan.

       European forces had no option but to follow suit due to their dependence on US logistics and aerial support for the mission.

       The EU27 began operating like one super-state during the coronavirus pandemic after President Macron and Angela Merkel led calls for a historic €750 billion rescue package to bail out the bloc.

       European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also presided over coronavirus vaccine purchases for the entire bloc.

       DON'T MISS

       Michel Barnier tells UK to expect a long battle over fishing rights [INSIGHT]

       Royal Family LIVE: Queen poised for fresh rejection [LIVE]

       UK snow warning: The exact time snow could fall this weekend [FORECAST]

       Meanwhile, the German coalition faces more immediate issues as coronavirus cases continue to soar in the country and the discovery of a new mutated variant in Europe.

       Germany recorded 76,000 new Covid infections on Friday – a record daily figure.

       Ms Baerbock said mandatory vaccines and another lockdown could not be ruled out.

       Belgium became the first European Union country to announce a case of the variant B.1.1.529, which has been identified in other places including South Africa, Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel.

       UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said there was "huge international concern" over the strain.