Germany elections: Next likely chancellor Friedrich Merz warns Nato could soon be dead
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/24/germany-chancellor-friedrich-merz-warns-nato-could-be-dead/
Germany elections: Next likely chancellor Friedrich Merz warns Nato could soon be dead
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/24/germany-chancellor-friedrich-merz-warns-nato-could-be-dead/
28 comments
From The Telegraph:
Friedrich Merz, who is poised to become [Germany’s next chancellor,](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/23/germany-election-live-olaf-scholz/) has warned Nato could be finished and Europe must prepare to build an alliance “independent” from the US.
In stark comments, Mr Merz, 69, leader of the centre-Right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), suggested the continent may have to “quickly” establish an “independent European defence capability”.
After [exit polls predicted Mr Merz would win the election,](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/23/germany-election-conservatives-projected-win-afd-second/) Donald Trump hailed the result as a “great day for Germany and for the United States of America”.
But Mr Merz said Europe’s 80-year alliance with the US could be consigned to history, as he believes Mr Trump is “indifferent” about the continent in blunt remarks about his plans for his upcoming administration.
In stinging criticism of Mr Trump, the CDU leader likened the Trump administration’s tactics to Moscow after Elon Musk backed the far-Right AfD in the German election.
“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,” Mr Merz 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.”
He added: “I am very curious to see how we are heading towards the Nato summit at the end of June … 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.”
Following a campaign roiled by violent terror attacks, the conservative CDU/CSU bloc won 28.6 per cent of the vote, followed by the AfD with 20.8 per cent, preliminary results showed on Monday.
Mr Merz must now form a coalition government, but mainstream parties had vowed not to team up with the AfD.
His comments mark the strongest rebuttal of Mr Trump any head of government has made in response to the US president’s growing cooperation with Russia and criticism of Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I have absolutely no illusions about what is happening from America,” Mr Merz said 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.”
He added: “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.”
I wonder what his position is regarding any “article 5” in respect of Canada.
He is right. The trade between the U.S. and the EU is the largest trade between blocs on Earth by a massive amount, and no two blocs share stronger historic bonds. Additionally, NATO yields a massively positive return on investment for the United States in terms of dollars due to military sales and political influence. None of this means anything because the United States is controlled by a wannabe dictator who wants to buddy up with his authoritarian friend in Russia for god knows what reasons. The United States is also ready to extort an exceedingly poor country out of 500 billion dollars of their resources because they are in a weak position, defending their young democracy against tyranny. The Canadians, the most loyal friends of the United States, whose soldiers literally died in the wake of 9/11 to help their neighbors, face threats of annexation, as does Greenland, the territory of the European Union itself. Meanwhile, this guy enjoys a 48% approval rating in the United States and is implicitly endorsed by two-thirds of the population. What has the world come to that this is where we are?
This is saying what was unthinkable only a few weeks ago. NATO in it’s current form is already dead, we’ll not see a sudden and credible US backtrack from Trump. The damage is done to both NATO and the US.
UK, EU and others must now align to defend and protect Europe without US support, and potentially as a disruptor at best. Bravo US, is this what you wanted? Traitors. Fascists. Enemies. It was good while it lasted and I hope we can be true friends again.
Being an American and watching the us commit suicide is fucking wild
NATO? no… america as the de facto leader of NATO? yes.
If america doesn’t want to lead, Europe will.
European NATO without orbans, ficos and the veto power would be great. The US could join when they’re back to their senses.
It’s the reality facing all NATO members. The alliance is withering and a new European alliance is needed to establish mutually assured security. The sooner Europe achieves this, whatever the mechanism, the safer they (& the world) will be.
I really hope if it comes to this, they name it GDI as in “Global Defense Initiative,” just because.
I detest Trump but he has accelerated the EU’s independence from America…………Time to step up.
We’ll make our own NATO, with Blackjack and hookers. Canada, you in? We can also add a Tim Horton to sweeten the deal…
With luck Trump will be dead soon from a cheeseburger, a lightning strike on the golf course or (cough, cough), a tragic accident.
MAGA will spin apart and the various factions will eat each other. Musk will jump in and claim to be in charge, but he’ll get knifed in the back by Vance.
We just have to hope that Europe can work together to isolate Putin and Russia and keep the pressure on until it fails economically and Putin is pushed out of power (or better yet, a window).
Please fix the military and please do it three years ago. Germany has one of the biggest economies in the world but seems unable to buy new socks for the Bundeswehr without bidding wars and bureaucracy getting in the way. Merz seems to understand the gravity of the situation, but it seems that the average German doesn’t.
Mark my words, before the war with the Russians is over Germany will have rationing of fuel and food. They’ll curse the leaders who trusted the Russians and let regulation and free trade get in the way of a robust defense.
He never said NATO soon be dead. That is fake
Can any Germans give an opinion on this guy, like what’s his policy’s? I’m assuming Trump doesn’t know either given his tweet
I don’t like Merz one bit but on this point I can see he’s taking a position I can definitely get behind. The US is of course too big to ignore, but it is far too unstable these days to have as a close ally. Ultimately my ideal would be a unified human world, but at this point we’ll have to accept that this dream has gone a bit further out of reach.
This coming from a man that was all in for Atlanticism mere months ago signs how much winds are turning in Europe and rightfully so. At first i thought Trump is bad for Europe, but now i think it will make it stronger than ever before in the long run.
It’s time for NATO v2
This is true because the U.S. no longer want the “buy one get one free” military strength to protect their wider interests
That title is incredibly editorialized. In the interview he didn’t say anything like that. You can read off of implications but classic tabloid media with clickbait title where 90% of people won’t read the article.
NATO will continue without the US, and be less of a political tool and more of a proper defense alliance. It will have the money to do so without subsidizing all of the US troops and bases in Europe.
Ukraine has shown that Russia is not the juggernaut it pretends to be. It hasnt won a war since WWII, and is in economic freefall. A NATO without the US will have both the conventional and nuclear power to free Ukraine and welcome it into the fold.
Trump is about to find out that he just ended his countries superpower status since he’s too much of a coward to ever go to war over this.
“NATO could be dead”?
Could??
I hope this is politic-speach to break it up to people slowly.
But NATO is dead. NATO was based on nothing but trust between America and a Europe.
Trump took that trust to a back alley, and under Putin’s orders, shot that trust 67 times point blank, stabbed it, burned it, pissed on it, and laughed throughout.
NATO IS DEAD.
The sooner we get rid of the American bases and of the completely fake safety they offer, the sooner we can get into gear.
Those bases move us to inaction. Better to consider then gone, even before that that actually happens.
Our issue is political fragmentation, a stronger integrated EU could without much issue allocate 3% of gdp to defense budget in a very short time and without much impact on our way of living, effectively dwarfing russia expenditures. If we manage to do that with internal capacity of eu companies (rheinemetall, leonardo, thales etc) we would also boost a little our economy. It is crucial we europeans really start to vote and campaign towards integration, there is no other way around
Yup, Russia is really reaping the dividends from their investment in the 2016 US election with the way Trump is speed running the collapse of the West on behalf of Russia.
Europe coming together to defend its sovereignty is currently the only positive silver lining I can think of these days, maybe y’all can get something right and put the smack down on those who are disrespectful
Time for a European alliance! Time to step up while the US steps down!
Better make EUTO America is dead
Not just Nato. AUKUS & Five Eyes will be circling the drain too
I’m convinced the guy is a russian spy
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