Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticized Washington for what he calls “absurd observations” regarding Germany.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has requested that the U.S. government refrain from intervening in Germany’s internal affairs. This follows criticism from Trump administration officials regarding the designation of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the country’s second-largest party, as an “extremist” organization.
Following the BfV’s (Berlin’s domestic intelligence agency) action last week, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance likened the “German establishment” to having “rebuilt” the Berlin Wall. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio went further, describing the EU’s largest economy as “a tyranny in disguise” and urging German authorities to reconsider their course.
Merz, who secured the chancellorship after an initial failed confirmation vote, stated in an interview with ZDF on Tuesday that Washington’s commentary on the treatment of the right-wing AfD by German authorities was unwarranted.
The Chancellor emphasized his desire to see the American government largely stay out of German domestic matters.
The 69-year-old politician pointed out that he did not interfere in the American election last year, which resulted in Trump’s second term.
He also stated his belief that U.S. politicians should not endorse AfD, arguing that they should be able to “clearly distinguish between extremist parties and parties of the political center.”
Merz is scheduled to speak with Trump by phone on Thursday, with their first in-person meeting planned for the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24-25.
Regarding the potential banning of AfD, the Chancellor cautioned against excessive action. “Ten million AfD voters, you cannot ban them,” Merz stated, suggesting that the ruling CDU/CSU alliance should instead focus on addressing the factors driving support for the right-wing party.
AfD advocates for stricter immigration and asylum policies and opposes the “woke agenda.” The party achieved its strongest result in February’s election, securing 20.8% of the vote and placing second behind CDU/CSU, which received 28.5%. On Monday, the party launched a legal challenge to the BfV’s classification of it as an “extremist” organization.
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