Germany’s Friedrich Merz promises to “achiev independence” from the US after the central right block won the federal election and placed him on the head of a potentially complicated coalition during a period of rapid European upheaval. did.
In the election where Germany moved to the right, the Christian Democrats of Meltz (CDU/CSU) came first with 28.6% of Sunday’s vote and made at least one coalition partner to secure a majority in the working parliament. I needed it.
Germany’s far-right alternative (AFD) was second, with the highest vote share ever at around 21%.
Within hours of the vote shut down, Meltz said that President Donald Trump is “almost indifferent” to Europe’s fate, Germany has fundamentally reworked security arrangements, and dozens of them to Washington He declared that his year-long dependence needed to end.
Merz said: And strengthening Europe as quickly as possible must be an absolute priority. In that case, in stages, we will actually achieve independence from the United States.
“I wouldn’t have thought I had to say that. But after Donald Trump’s statement, at least this US government has been largely indifferent to Americans’ fate in Europe. It’s clear.”
Speaking unsure of NATO’s future, Mertz highlighted Washington’s intervention in the German election campaign, comparing it to Russian interference.
The Trump administration has publicly tried the AFD, criticizing mainstream German politicians for refusing to cooperate with the party flirting with Nazi Ella slogans, urging an end to sanctions against Russia, and a massive migrant troops He called for exile.
In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to blind Europe and extract US security guarantees from the continent by holding direct talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Germany hosts the greatest conditions for American troops stationed in Europe.
Before Sunday, Trump described the election results as evidence that “German people were tired of the unconventional agenda about energy and immigration that they have won over the years.”
Meltz has few options, but aside from forming a coalition with Prime Minister Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrat Prime Minister, he has received over 16% of the votes. It’s the worst result since 1887.
The Liberal Democrats (FDP), a traditional partner of the Christian Democrats, was left below the 5% threshold.
The next parliament is set to include five political parties, including Green, AFD and the far left Dai Linke. A two-part coalition of Christian Democrats and SPD will preside over the majority.
It remained unclear whether Merz could strongly negotiate strong enough to promote fundamental reforms, including revisions to restrictions that were constitutionally obsessed with public borrowing.
“We know the scale of the challenge that lies ahead of us,” Meltz said. “I approach this with the greatest respect, and I know it’s not easy.”
“We had a hard campaign, and now we talk to each other,” Meltz said.
DAX futures rose 1.1%, with the euro bolstering 0.6% during morning trading in Asia to $1.052.
The results show a big swing to the right in Germany after a series of deadly attacks by immigrants promoted anti-immigrant sentiment.
According to data from the exit vote, voter turnout reached its highest level at 84% since Germany’s reunification in 1990.
German voters avoided Scholz’s unpopular coalition with the Greens and the FDP. The eurozone’s biggest economy has stagnated for the past two years as German industry has tackled high energy prices and China’s competition.
Scholz showed he would retreat from the frontline politics after “bitter results.”
AFD co-leader Alice Weidel celebrated the party by doubling its vote share from 2021 to secure Germany’s biggest far-right interests since World War II.
“We led an epic campaign,” Weidel said. She said she emphasized that her party is accepting coalition consultations with CDU/CSU to meet “the will of the people.”
After witnessing three years of urgency among top members of Scholz’s Fractious Coalition, the CDU and its Bavarian sister party strategist CSU want to avoid needing multiple partners to form a government I was thinking that.
The Sahara Wagen Knecht Alliance (BSW) on the far left did not secure enough seats in the parliament.
Under the German electoral system, parties who win less than 5% of the vote will be excluded from parliament, and their votes will be redistributed and successful groups will be strengthened.
Holger Schmeiding, an economist at Belenberg Bank, warned of “severe risks” that the Fringe party could be strong enough to stop changes in the German constitution.
“If that were the case, they could have refused to loosen the constitutional debt brakes, but “it’s important to raise spending on the military and Ukraine and ease the tax burden on workers and businesses.” He added.
Data visualization by Martin Stabe and Jonathan Vincent. Additional Reports by William Sandland of Hong Kong
