German vote winner Merz seeks to build govt with centre-left as Europe waits
The Christian Democrats' (CDU) leader said he would reach out to the Social Democrats (SPD) of vanquished Chancellor Olaf Scholz with hopes of forging a stable ruling alliance of the two traditional big-tent parties.
After the surge of the far-right AfD, Merz said the mainstream parties must answer concerns of voters drifting to the fringes, calling the AfD's record 20 percent result 'the last warning to the political parties of the democratic centre in Germany'.
Merz, 69, has said he wants a ruling coalition in place within two months so Berlin can act again on the European and world stage after months of paralysis since Scholz's coalition imploded in early November.
US President Donald Trump has blindsided Europe and Ukraine by launching direct talks with Russia to end the war and voicing doubt about America's future commitment to the NATO alliance.
Trump has repeated Russian talking points about Ukraine's supposed responsibility in starting the war, raising concern in Europe that he would agree to Moscow's terms.
Merz, a committed transatlanticist, said yesterday he would seek good ties with the United States under Trump but was also ready for 'the worstcase scenario'.
'All the signals we are receiving from the United States indicate that interest in Europe is decreasing,' he told a post-election press conference in Berlin. Merz also said he had a 'lengthy' call with Emmanuel Macron late Sunday, as the French president headed to Washington to meet with Trump.
'We discussed the topics he wants to address with the American president, and I found that there was complete agreement between what he wants to say and what I want to say', Merz said.
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