German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that the era of “unconditional” ties between the US and Europe, forged after World War II, is likely over for the foreseeable future. The comment comes as transatlantic relations have deteriorated during the presidency of Donald Trump.
“This era of unconditional transatlantic friendship is likely over for the foreseeable future,” Friedrich Merz told members of his conservative party in Berlin on Thursday. He added that a shift in political sentiment and in the assessment of the transatlantic alliance is now taking place on the other side of the Atlantic, a development that would have seemed unimaginable not long ago.
Speaking ahead of the Berlin state elections on Sunday, Merz contrasted today’s US‑German relationship with earlier visits by American presidents to the German capital, recalling the famous speeches of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
Tensions in relations with the US
Merz’s remarks follow news this week that Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed a proposal for the country’s associate membership in the European Union. In response, Donald Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on the bloc’s 27 members if he judged such ties to be harmful to the US.
Donald Trump also praised the surprise victory of the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in state elections earlier this month. The outcome rattled Germany’s political establishment and sparked calls for Friedrich Merz to resign.
This is not the first time Friedrich Merz has made sharp remarks about the policies of the Donald Trump administration. In April, he told a group of students that American negotiators seeking ways to end the war with Iran had been humiliated. Shortly after, Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of roughly 5,000 American troops from the country.
Merz’s statement echoes comments made by former Chancellor Angela Merkel. In May 2017, during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, she told a rally that the reliable relations built after World War II were “to some extent over.” That remark attracted considerable international attention at the time.
Source: Bloomberg
