Germany's new chancellor urges US officials to stay out of his country's politics
New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged U.S. officials to refrain from interfering in his country's politics in an interview Wednesday.
Merz, who was sworn into office Tuesday, said Washington needs to respect Germany's democratic institutions and its approach to handling far-right parties deemed extremist by its security services.
'That is our business. We decide that, not the American government,' he said in an interview with the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, which POLITICO is part of.
Senior officials in the Trump administration have lashed out at Berlin after Germany's domestic intelligence agency last week labeled the Alternative for Germany Party a 'proven right-wing extremist organization.'
Breaking with longstanding U.S. tradition of not opining on the internal politics of allies, Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Germany of 'tyranny in disguise,' while Vice President JD Vance attacked Berlin for attempting to 'destroy' the AfD.
Vance has emerged as a leading champion of far-right political parties in Europe, excoriating European leaders in a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, accusing them of 'shutting down' unorthodox viewpoints.
Merz said that he has asked U.S. officials to keep out of German politics.
'We have largely stayed out of the American election campaign in recent years, and that includes me personally,' Merz said, adding that he had told American officials: 'We have not taken sides with either candidate. And I ask you to accept that in return.'
Merz's center-right party, the Christian Democratic Union, won elections in February and formed a governing coalition with the center-left Social Democrats.
The two parties came together to keep the AfD — which came second in the polls — out of office.
Merz initially failed to secure sufficient backing in a procedural vote in the German Bundestag on Tuesday to approve his chancellorship — a foreshadowing of the governing challenges that lie ahead.
It marked the first time in modern German history that a chancellor has failed to secure sufficient support on the first vote. He succeeded in a second ballot later Tuesday.
On the campaign trail, Merz pledged to make foreign policy a top priority, and he spent his first full day in office Wednesday traveling to France and Poland, key partners for Germany in Europe.
In a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, Merz said that President Donald Trump has 'our full support' when it comes to bringing an end to the war.
'The number one priority remains to make a European contribution to ending the war in Ukraine as soon as possible,' he said in the interview.
Merz declined to answer when asked whether Germany would commit troops to support a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire deal and was cautious about the timeline of any potential end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
'We are a long way from a ceasefire, and even further from a peace agreement,' he said.
The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 precipitated a surge in defense spending in Germany as the country raced to bolster its armed forces.
Trump's reelection and antagonistic relationship with Europe have fueled calls for the continent to reduce dependence on the U.S. for defense and security.
'Europe has to become much more independent,' said Merz, who added that he had 'several' discussions with Macron about the matter.
Merz is set to speak to Trump on the phone Thursday and hopes to persuade him of the mutual benefits of making trade between the United States and Europe easier.
Trump has threatened to hit the bloc with steep tariffs if a deal isn't concluded before the 90-day pause on the levies expires in July.
'I will try to explain to him that we want to make trade easier, not harder,' Merz said.
The Thursday call between the two leaders coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II in Europe.
Merz said he planned to thank all of the Western allies for 'their commitment, which they paid for with the lives of many soldiers' to defeat Nazi Germany.
Mackinnon reported from Washington. WELT's Burgard talked to Merz aboard the chancellor's plane, on its way from Paris to Warsaw.
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