Friedrich Merz vows independence from Trump’s America in first speech

Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who is set to become Germany's next Chancellor, vowed independence from Trump’s America, in his first speech.

The Trump administration does not care about Europe and is aligning with Russia, he said.

The continent, he warned, must urgently strengthen its defences and potentially even find a replacement for NATO — within months.

Merz is 69 years old, and has promised the electorate to solve problems ranging from migration, to Germany’s stuttering economy.

Merz did not even wait for the final results in Germany's election before delivering what could well be a defining verdict on U.S. President Donald Trump, consigning Europe's 80-year alliance with the United States to the past.

“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,” Germany's chancellor-in-waiting said. “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.”

But he didn’t stop there, suggesting Europe may need to devise a new defence structure to replace it.

“I am very curious to see how we are heading toward the NATO summit at the end of June," he said. "Whether we will still be talking about NATO in its current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defence capability much more quickly."

Merz even went as far as to liken the Trump administration's recent tactics to those of Russia. He was especially critical of tech billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk for endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the German election.

"I have absolutely no illusions about what is happening from America," Merz said during a televised debate on Sunday night. "Just look at the recent interventions in the German election campaign by Mr. Elon Musk — that is a unique event. The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we have seen from Moscow. We are under such massive pressure from two sides that my absolute priority now really is to create unity in Europe."

Merz said he had some "residual" hope that the U.S. Congress and the White House would not completely cut Ukraine out of any peace negotiations, though he did not sound optimistic. "I am not sure what the American government's position on this war will be in the coming weeks and months. My impression over the last few days is that Russia and America are coming together here, over the heads of Ukraine and therefore also over the heads of Europe," he said.