Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
In the first hours of his tenure as German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz made a strong statement: The United States should refrain from interfering in German politics. This was a response to the support of the far-right AfD party by Donald Trump’s allies, including Elon Musk and US Vice President J.D. Vance. This was reported by The Guardian.
“I have never interfered in an American election, and I expect the same approach in return,” Merz said in an interview with ZDF. He also called some of the statements from Washington – in particular, criticism of German intelligence for recognising the AfD as extremist – “absurd”.
Despite their longstanding Atlantic ties, the new chancellor acknowledged that the Trump administration’s recent actions show indifference to Europe’s fate. “I never thought I would say this publicly: these Americans don’t care about the security of Europe,” he said.
Merz did not rule out that Europe would soon be forced to strengthen its defence on its own. “I am not sure what will happen with NATO. We may have to act quickly,” he concluded.
