Germany’s newly appointed Prime Minister Friedrich Merz has urged the United States to stay out of the political affairs in his country, particularly after the far-right AFD party gained significant backing from allies of former President Donald Trump.
Merz, who is 69 and represents a conservative viewpoint, was elected earlier today and mentioned plans to speak with Trump on Thursday.
His CDU/CSU Alliance emerged victorious in February’s elections, ahead of the anti-immigrant AFD party.
During the campaign, AFD received notable support from tech billionaire Elon Musk and U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
While not naming any specific comments, Merz criticized what he called “absurd observations” coming from the U.S., expressing a desire for the U.S. government to maintain a position of neutrality.
A seasoned politician with ties to the U.S., Merz emphasized that he believes America can “clearly distinguish between extremists and political parties in the political center.”
In an interview with the public broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday, he mentioned that he had refrained from interfering in the U.S. election campaign that brought Trump to power.
Last week, following Germany’s domestic intelligence agency labeling the AFD as a “right-wing extremist” party, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described this move as “disguised tyranny” and called for Germany to “reverse course.”
In response, the German Foreign Ministry asserted that “this is a democracy,” insisting the decision came from a thorough investigation to uphold their constitution and rule of law, finalized by an independent court.
Vance also remarked on X, stating that “the West tore the Berlin Wall together and rebuilt by German facilities, not by the Soviets or Russians.”
Musk notably attended the AFD’s rally in January, telling attendees that “you’re really the best hope” for Germany.
