Friedrich Merz, Germany’s likely next chancellor, has called for Europe to achieve “independence” from the United States after his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party secured 28.6% of the vote in Sunday’s election.
Speaking to supporters, Merz, 69, vowed to push for a stronger Europe amid tensions with Washington. He criticized U.S. “intervention” in Germany’s election and accused both the U.S. and Russia of exerting pressure.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to 20.8%, becoming the second-largest party but remains excluded from government due to a “firewall” policy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) suffered a major defeat with just 16.4%.
Merz now faces complex coalition talks to form a stable government while navigating immigration concerns, economic challenges, and Trump’s foreign policy shifts.
Related Readings:
