Article

2025-02-24 Europe

German election victor Merz says he will strive for Europe’s ‘real independence’ from US

To our German correspondents: Is this a reasonable read of your new chancellor’s intentions, or is the reporter cherry-picking quotes for malign effect?

[IsraelTimes] Friedrich Merz, set to become Germany’s next chancellor after his opposition conservatives won the national election, vows to help give Europe “real independence” from the US as he prepares to cobble together a government.

Merz, 69, faces complex and lengthy coalition negotiations after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to a historic second place in a fractured vote after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unloved three-way alliance.

Mainstream parties rule out working with the AfD which enjoyed the endorsement of prominent right-wing US figures including Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and ally of President Donald Trump.

Merz, who has no previous experience in office, is set to become chancellor with Europe’s largest economy ailing, its society split over migration and its security caught between a confrontational US and an assertive Russia and China.

He takes aim at the US in blunt remarks after his victory, criticizing the “ultimately outrageous” comments flowing from Washington during the campaign, comparing them to hostile interventions from Russia.

“So we are under such massive pressure from two sides that my absolute priority now is to achieve unity in Europe. It is possible to create unity in Europe,” Merz tells a roundtable with other leaders.

Merz’s broadside against the US comes despite Trump welcoming the election outcome with a post on his Truth Social platform.

“Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration, that has prevailed for so many years,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Hitherto seen as an Atlanticist, Merz says Trump had shown his administration to be “largely indifferent to the fate of Europe”.

That’s certainly one way to look at it. My understanding is that President Trump is not interested in carrying those who are not doing the work to protect themselves. Is Germany going to fund her military properly — last I heard y’all lacked bullets, vehicle spare parts, and the capability to transport fighting units to the battlefield. Has that changed?

Merz’s “absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we can achieve real independence from the USA step by step,” he adds.

Europe has been threatening that for years. Is it finally time to deliver?

Posted by trailing wife 2025-02-24 2025-02-24 02:15|| || Front Page|| [11165 views ] Top

#1 German vote winner Merz faces tough talks to build coalition government

Posted by Skidmark 2025-02-24 04:35|| 2025-02-24 04:35|| Front Page Top

#2 Trump is not interested in carrying those who are not doing the work to protect themselves.

Eastward expansion, while flooding Europe with hostile third-worlders, is "protecting themselves"?

Posted by Grom the Affective 2025-02-24 05:04|| 2025-02-24 05:04|| Front Page Top

#3 We'll see. Merz is actually as US friendly as it gets, and he sure does know a thing or two about the economy. Trump's first reaction has been quite positive.

As it stands now Merz will only need the SPD as a coalition partner, not the Greens, this should make things easier for him (although the Greens are - these days - more hawkish than the SPD). But the SPD will almost certainly be led by (soon) former defense minister Oskar Pistorius, who will not cause any trouble when it comes to raising military spending.

Companies like Thyssen Krupp and Rheinmetall are booming (shares are up 30%). Military spending will boost the economy, and that includes my company.

And a little extra: Merz seems to have invited Netanjahu to Germany, ignoring the ICJ warrant.

Of course there's nothing wrong with European unity. European countries don't want to be eaten alive by the "Big Three".

Posted by European Conservative 2025-02-24 05:48|| 2025-02-24 05:48|| Front Page Top

#4 BTW, in Germany voter ID is mandatory, also they use paper ballots

the preliminary results are available within a few hours of the polls closing but an audit takes place and the final results are available in about 3 weeks

Posted by Lord Garth 2025-02-24 09:22|| 2025-02-24 09:22|| Front Page Top

#5 The Euros are itching for a third world war. Fought and paid for with American blood and treasure.

Sorry, Europe; we're just not that into you any more.

Posted by Regular joe 2025-02-24 10:54|| 2025-02-24 10:54|| Front Page Top

#6 Eventually the AfD will have a real majority and return the favor.

Posted by Silentbrick 2025-02-24 11:08|| 2025-02-24 11:08|| Front Page Top

#7 "The Euros are itching for a third world war."
Nonsense. This war would be fought on European soil. Nobody wants that. In fact, we want to prevent it.

If the United States is no longer prepared to stand with Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan will take note. And then, good luck with your fight against China. It won't be America First, it will be America Alone.

Europe has the means to reinvent itself. Wo Gefahr ist, wächst das Rettende auch.

Posted by European Conservative 2025-02-24 11:32|| 2025-02-24 11:32|| Front Page Top

#8 Metz is known as a pro capitalist. A number of tiems he has said that Europe should be able to defend itself (presumably from Russia). This isn't a problem except it means more funds need to be allocated to defense and much of Europe is in bad shape financially. What he isn't so clear about is how Germany and Europe can defend itself from Islamist migrants and how Europe can recoup the electrical generation capacity that they lost during the Energiewende.

Posted by Lord Garth 2025-02-24 12:19|| 2025-02-24 12:19|| Front Page Top

#9 Europe Is Threatening to Punish US By Paying for Its Own Defense

Posted by Grom the Affective 2025-02-24 12:41|| 2025-02-24 12:41|| Front Page Top

#10 Europe has the means to reinvent itself. Wo Gefahr ist, wächst das Rettende auch.

Good. That’s what we all want for Europe, not to freeze in the dark, unwilling to defend herself.

I note that Britain might be in even worse condition at the moment.

Please help the new government do the things they promised, which will satisfy those AfD voters who aren’t rabid racists, but are turning to the party in desperation, just as so many did to Donald Trump here.

Posted by trailing wife 2025-02-24 12:59|| 2025-02-24 12:59|| Front Page Top

#11 Grom don't threaten me with a good time!

I would like Europe to be more independent of the US. But that is also whey they are getting spooked by Russia as it starts trying to regrow the Russian empire.

Posted by DarthVader 2025-02-24 13:59|| 2025-02-24 13:59|| Front Page Top

#12 EC, Germany has taken 20 years to dig the hole it now finds itself. Energy runs the economy and you guys absolutely screwed yourselves. It will take years to rebuild away from the failed green energy sources, all while trying to build up your withered military (both men and material). I appreciate your optimism but it will be a long hard slog.

Posted by Remoteman 2025-02-24 14:19|| 2025-02-24 14:19|| Front Page Top

#13 Talk is cheap but self reliance and self defense is not. So, good luck with all that. Euros have always been saying that they are independent from US but they are like a little dog that barks and lunges at everything while on the leash. If the leash is released, they cower behind their master.

Posted by AlmostAnonymous5839 2025-02-24 14:32|| 2025-02-24 14:32|| Front Page Top

#14 #7 is Ukraine European soil? And riddle me this: who has been a better ally since WWII? Japan or... any Ero zone you care to mention.

Posted by Regular joe 2025-02-24 14:33|| 2025-02-24 14:33|| Front Page Top

#15 "And riddle me this: who has been a better ally since WWII?"

Care to ask this question to my son who served in Afghanistan?

Posted by European Conservative 2025-02-24 14:46|| 2025-02-24 14:46|| Front Page Top

#16 EC I never worked with the Germans but the Danes and Poles were awesome and squared away soldiers. Brits were just fucking nuts but good.

Europe has excellent soldiers, just not many of them.

Posted by DarthVader 2025-02-24 14:59|| 2025-02-24 14:59|| Front Page Top

#17 "The U.S. voted against a resolution condemning Russia as the aggressor in the war in Ukraine that passed the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, marking three years since Russia’s launched its full-scale invasion of the country.

Among the 17 countries that joined the U.S. in opposition to the non-binding measure were Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Israel and Hungary, whose Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a close ally to President Trump. China abstained along with 64 other countries."

Quo vadis?

Posted by European Conservative 2025-02-24 15:01|| 2025-02-24 15:01|| Front Page Top

#18 But, but, but, what about soft power?

Posted by Grom the Affective 2025-02-24 16:03|| 2025-02-24 16:03|| Front Page Top

#19 Cost nothing, means nothing. Triangulation move.

Posted by Nero 2025-02-24 16:30|| 2025-02-24 16:30|| Front Page Top

#20

Posted by Grom the Affective 2025-02-24 16:32|| 2025-02-24 16:32|| Front Page Top

#21 Europe has the means to reinvent itself.
-----------
I doubt it has the *will*. Until Europe is more concerned with Islamic lunatics polluting their lands than they are with people posting on social media about it, I can't assume they really care about re-inventing themselves.

Posted by Crusader 2025-02-24 17:05|| 2025-02-24 17:05|| Front Page Top

#22 My take on Merz is that here he's lashing out in frustration because of his atrocious election result.

He had been nominally the leader of the opposition against a government that had enacted a policy of economic self-destruction, and the election result of his party was the second worst in its history.

Quo vadis?

Russia made its demands clear in 2021. They go far beyond Ukraine and far beyond Europe. I think Trump should be asked just how much he is going to give away to appease (and to surrender to?) Russia.

And yes, surrender is an option. The will to surrender is a sufficient condition.

In fact if the pro censorship Europeans in Munich had been smart they could have retorted that the abolition of free speech in the West had been NATO consensus since the start of the Afghanistan mission.
A consensus then shared even by Donald Trump.

Posted by Elmerert Hupens2660 2025-02-24 18:07|| 2025-02-24 18:07|| Front Page Top

#23 @22 I realized that Amb. Sedwill answered the question "Who do you serve?" speaking for NATO in the linked video.

"... the peoples and governments of the Alliance both respect and defend the Muslim faith ..."

No wonder Putin doesn't take the West seriously.

Wo Gefahr ist, wächst das Rettende auch.

The West's lack of any serious commitment to self-preservation and self-defense is not an external danger, however.

Posted by Elmerert Hupens2660 2025-02-24 18:18|| 2025-02-24 18:18|| Front Page Top

#24 ""The Euros are itching for a third world war."
Nonsense. This war would be fought on European soil. Nobody wants that. In fact, we want to prevent it.

If the United States is no longer prepared to stand with Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan will take note. And then, good luck with your fight against China. It won't be America First, it will be America Alone.

Europe has the means to reinvent itself. Wo Gefahr ist, wächst das Rettende auch."

I think you think you're being tough, but all you're accomplishing is showing us that Trump should really not only be doing what you've been falsely accusing him of, but going WAY beyond that, such as pulling back the "rental" nuclear deterrent we've loaned you for my entire adult life.

I

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2025-02-24 18:32|| 2025-02-24 18:32|| Front Page Top

#25 I _really_ don't think we should be shielding at great costs anyone making the sorts of threats you're making.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2025-02-24 18:33|| 2025-02-24 18:33|| Front Page Top

#26 I'm not making any threats. The threats are coming from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Isn't Europe's real independence from the US exactly what you want?

Posted by European Conservative 2025-02-24 19:13|| 2025-02-24 19:13|| Front Page Top

#27 Why yes, EC, it is!

Posted by Itsoktobewhite 2025-02-24 21:25|| 2025-02-24 21:25|| Front Page Top

#28 Equals coming together for mutual benefit, yes.

Posted by trailing wife 2025-02-24 23:36|| 2025-02-24 23:36|| Front Page Top

#29 Merz: "None of us wants to close the border."

CDU's promises died within 24 hours.

Goodbye Germany and Europe.

Posted by DarthVader 2025-02-24 23:42|| 2025-02-24 23:42|| Front Page Top

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