Handelsblatt · February 2026

• Merz as active policy initiator (reforms, demands, visits)
• Merz quoted directly and extensively (authoritative voice)
• Critical commentary and negative framing in some headlines
• Mixed selection: both achievements and controversies covered

Headline 10 publishes Merz's speech verbatim (positive treatment), but headline 12 advises him to change rhetoric and headline 24 calls his chance 'vertan' (wasted), showing editorial criticism. Overall, the outlet treats Merz as a normal political actor with both amplification and critique, not consistently favourable or hostile.

• predominantly corporate and economic coverage
• no evaluative language toward Germany as a country
• domestic political stories reported factually
• entity treated as background context, not subject of stance

The entity 'DE' (Germany) is not the primary actor in most headlines; coverage focuses on companies, politics, and international events. No consistent positive or negative framing of Germany itself is detectable.

• neutral reporting of US corporate and political actions
• critical framing of US scandals (Epstein, Trump administration)
• skeptical distance in US-Europe relations coverage
• factual coverage of US economic and tech developments

Coverage is predominantly factual or mixed; negative framing appears in scandal-related headlines (Epstein, Trump justice) and in questioning US trustworthiness, but many headlines are neutral business or political reporting. No consistent positive or negative stance toward the US as a whole.

• evaluative framing of Trump's actions as autocratic or problematic
• neutral reporting of policy moves mixed with skeptical commentary
• focus on conflicts and controversies surrounding Trump
• use of distancing or critical vocabulary ('autokratische Reflexe', 'verärgert Trump')

Several headlines are neutral or factual (e.g., 2, 3, 12, 17, 18), and some report Trump's statements without overt editorializing (e.g., 5, 7, 8). However, the bundle includes clear critical framing (headline 1: 'autokratische Reflexe'; headline 10: 'Trump-Freunde kontrollieren bald CNN – Ein Leuchtturm des US-Journalismus erlischt'; headline 20: 'verärgert Trump') and a pattern of highlighting tensions and negative consequences (e.g., 15, 16, 19, 21, 22). The overall stance is skeptical/critical but not consistently hostile across all items.

• labels Epstein as a 'Skandal' or 'Affäre' in nearly every headline
• associates Epstein with criminal networks, cover-ups, and institutional corruption
• uses Epstein's name as a byword for scandal and abuse of power
• never quotes Epstein or treats him as a credible source; he is only the object of investigation

Epstein is deceased and cannot be quoted; the outlet's stance is uniformly hostile, framing him as the center of a criminal scandal that undermines trust in institutions.