There’s no new government in quite yet, but after , it’s all but certain that of the conservative will be the next chancellor. He, along with the CDU and its , will have to find coalition partners to govern.
One of the big talking points since the results came out is how Germany, and Europe will deal with US President .
After was confirmed Sunday night, Merz said that he wanted to work on creating unity in Europe as quickly as possible, “so that, step by step, we can achieve independence from the US.”
Until recently, this would have been a highly unusual thing for any leader of the CDU to say. After all, it has always had a strong affinity for the .
“Merz aligns himself with the legacy of historical CDU leaders such as [former chancellors] Konrad Adenauer and , both of whom played pivotal roles in strengthening transatlantic relations,” said Evelyn Gaiser, a policy advisor on transatlantic relationships and NATO with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank that is associated with but independent of the Christian Democrats.
Friedrich Merz, long-time transatlanticist
In 2018, Merz described himself as “a European of conviction, a transatlanticist, a German open to the world.”
For 10 years, from 2009 to 2019, he was chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke (Atlantic Bridge), a renowned German non-profit association that promotes German-US friendship and understanding.
“Merz’s party is the most transatlantic in Germany, and he is no exception,” Rachel Tausendfreund, a senior research fellow with the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), told DW. “He is […] also a firm supporter of NATO, as well as pro-European.”
Merz even served one term in the in the early 1990s.
From 1994 until 2009, he represented the CDU in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament. He has always been a particular fan of the US’s liberal economic policies ― in 2008 he published a book called “Mehr Kapitalismus wagen” (which translates roughly as “venturing more capitalism”).
Merz says that he has traveled to the US more than 100 times, and according to media reports, one of his idols is former US President Ronald Reagan.
Merz and Trump: no love lost
Under Trump, however, the US is no longer Merz’s favorite partner. Germany’s likely chancellor-to-be is not fond of the new US president’s anti- attitude and the Trump administration’s distancing from the US’ European allies, seemingly in favor of .
Merz spoke out after speech at the in February, in which the US vice president said that the biggest threat to Europe did not come from Russia or China, but “from within.”
“This is really now the change of an era,” Merz said on stage at the MSC. “If we don’t hear the wake-up call now, it might be too late for the entire European Union.”
Trump did not congratulate Merz directly on his election win, but did praise Germany’s “conservative party” in a post on his social media platform Truth Social after the German election results were released.
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has doubled down on his statement that Europeans need to step up their defense funding so they can take care of their own security themselves. The implication is clear: The US won’t be protecting you forever.
That’s why even the vague congratulatory post the US president shared after the CDU’s win came somewhat as a surprise.
Similarities in domestic policy, differences internationally
Despite the rhetoric, Trump and Merz do have some things in common, mainly their approach to national affairs.
“They are both pro-business, anti-regulation conservatives,” Tausendfreund said. “Both have used tough… language about immigrants and left-wing protesters.”
Trump and Merz want to curb irregular , for example by fortifying or better controlling national borders. Merz’s tough stance on migration, and wanting to turn asylum seekers away at German borders, might have helped him win the German election. The second-strongest party was the far-right , which is known for its racist and xenophobic rhetoric.
Immigration has long been one of Trump’s favorite topics, too. During his 2024 campaign, he vowed to continue building a wall along the border with Mexico, and blamed migrants for most problems the US faced.
Merz and Trump also share a conservative ideology when it comes to . Asked in a TV debate what he thought about Trump’s statement on Inauguration Day that , Merz said he could well understand.
But when it comes to foreign policy, the two men are worlds apart. Merz has made it very clear that Germany will continue to stand by , and has reiterated that Europe must be strong and unified in the face of the US turning toward Russia.
“What we also see with the greatest concern, of course, is the attempt [by Trump] to make a deal with Russia on Ukraine over the heads of the Europeans, over the heads of Ukraine,” the CDU leader said at a press conference on Monday. “It will come as no surprise to you when I say that this is unacceptable both for Ukraine and for Europe.”
Trump once said that he would not defend NATO countries that had not paid their “fair share” in defense funding against an attack by Russia.
He had to backtrack from this threat, but no longer seems to regard Moscow as an enemy. He recently announced he would meet with his Russian counterpart, , to discuss the ongoing .
Can Merz be Europe’s backbone in facing Trump?
Once a government is formed, Germany will likely try to build a strong inner-European coalition to make up for the US turning away.
“I would expect a CDU-led government to assume a more influential role within the European Union and advance a united and strong European position,” said Gaiser from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. “As chancellor, Friedrich Merz’s primary objective will be to rapidly strengthen Europe — whose economic power he frequently emphasizes — and enhance its independence as a global actor.”
Tausendfreund from the DGAP also believes regarding security and Ukraine, to send a clear signal the continent can go it alone, without the US under Trump. She said that it would be interesting to see how he fares, since he has never been the head of a German city, state or the country as a whole.
“Merz is more or less completely untested as a political leader, so we don’t know how up to the challenge he is,” Tausendfreund said. “But he does seem to understand and appreciate the stakes.”
Edited by: Anne Thomas
The post Trump, Merz and the future of the US-German friendship appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
