The votes were still being counted Sunday but the results were clear: Germany’s conservative Friedrich Merz is the new chancellor. And he wants nothing to do with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Merz’s CDU/CSU—the Christian Democrats and their sister party, the Christian Social Union—sealed an uninspiring win on Sunday, according to projections reported by the Associated Press and The New York Times. Merz’s CDU/CSU took home approximately 28.5 percent of the vote, projections showed, while the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany—AfD—approximately 20.5 percent. Chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded defeat in the worst post-war outcome for his center-left Social Democrats at 16 percent. The results mean Merz is almost guaranteed to be the country’s next chancellor.
Speaking on Germany’s public broadcaster, ARD, after polls closed, Merz called out Trump, saying the president made it “clear that this government is fairly indifferent to Europe’s fate,” according to the Times.
“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” Merz said during the live roundtable discussion.
“I never thought I would have to say something like this on a television program. But after Donald Trump’s statements last week at the latest, it is clear that the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.”
Merz also took aim at “first buddy” Elon Musk, according to EU Today, for endorsing the AfD, Germany’s far-right party. The AfD, once a fringe party, celebrated its highest-ever result in a federal poll. The party had received support not only from Elon Musk, but Vice President JD Vance. Merz singled out Musk for his involvement in the German election, describing it as “drastic and shameful—similar to what we’ve heard from Moscow in the past.”
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, however, called the result “historic” for her party and celebrated the involvement of Musk. “We are prepared to work with anybody,” she said.
Trump, for his part, did not comment directly on Merz’s comments against the U.S. Sunday and instead called it a win for conservatives in America in a post on Truth Social.
“LOOKS LIKE THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY IN GERMANY HAS WON THE VERY BIG AND HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ELECTION,” Trump wrote.
“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. THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR GERMANY, AND FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF A GENTLEMAN NAMED DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Trump added: “CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL — MANY MORE VICTORIES TO FOLLOW!!!"
