Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has come out against the US administration and how he felt it viewed his country, saying he wanted to have a telephone discussion with US President Donald Trump.
The US government has spread “absurd observations of the Federal Republic of Germany,” Merz said on May 6 in an interview on State broadcaster ZDF.
He added that the US administration should “stay out” of German domestic politics.
A call with the US President was already planned for May 8 and Merz stressed he did not know Trump on a personal level.
A face-to-face meeting between the two will reportedly will take place at the latest at the NATO summit in The Hague at the end of June, “perhaps even earlier,” the Christian Democratic Union Chancellor stressed.
“We will talk openly with each other.”
American Vice President JD Vance criticised the EU at the Munich Security Conference on February 14, accusing European nations of anti-democratic behaviour. https://t.co/pYdi5l8OKu
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 14, 2025
Merz said he wanted to represent Germany’s perspective but also the European position. “We have something to offer as Europeans, together we are even bigger than the United States of America.”
“We can do something, we are united, largely at least,” Merz continued. “That will be my message to the American government.”
He criticised certain factions within the US government that had expressed support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party during the Bundestag, or parliament, election campaign. He also supported the recent classification of the party as right-wing extremist by Germany’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Elon Musk has appeared in a video call at the election campaign kick-off of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), again showing his strong support for the hard-right party. https://t.co/tCe0kEzYMz
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 27, 2025
“I would like to encourage the American Government to let domestic policy in Germany be domestic policy and to stay largely out of these party-political considerations,” Merz said.
He said he had never “interfered in the American election campaign and unilaterally taken sides”.
Regarding US support for the AfD, Merz said: “I have always had the impression that America can distinguish between extremist parties and parties of the political centre.”
His first days in office appeared to be focused on foreign policy, as his first trip, the day after becoming Chancellor, was to Paris, to meet the leaders of France and Poland, highlighting European unity.
“My first trip as Federal Chancellor today is to our two largest neighbours: France and Poland. Germany is taking responsibility again. Not loudly, but reliably. Not arrogantly, but in partnership”, he said on X on May 7.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, has failed to garner enough votes in the Bundestag to become chancellor of Germany. https://t.co/mgeaRFKxkO
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) May 6, 2025
