Friedrich Merz attacks Elon Musk announcing stance on Europe, NATO, Ukraine

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s conservative bloc and winner of Sunday’s parliamentary elections, said Europe must urgently strengthen its defense capabilities, especially amid rising tensions between the United States and Europe over Ukraine and NATO funding.

“For me, the top priority is to strengthen Europe as soon as possible, so that we can gradually achieve greater independence from the United States on defense matters,” Merz said.

During a televised debate with other candidates after the election, he pointed out that former US President Donald Trump’s statements last week showed that “Americans have become less interested in the fate of Europe”.

Exit polls by German channels 1 and 2 revealed a significant lead for the Christian Union in the parliamentary elections, followed by the Alternative for Germany party, which outperformed the Social Democratic Party led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Green Party.

According to the two channels’ forecasts, the Christian Union, which includes the Christian Democratic Party and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, won between 28.5% and 29% of the vote, which is an improvement over the previous elections in 2021 (24.1%).

The Alternative for Germany party also made a jump in its results, as it is expected to obtain between 19.5% and 20% of the vote, compared to 10.4% in 2021.

Merz said he had no illusions about what to expect from the United States, as he said that, he was looking forward to seeing what would happen before the NATO summit at the end of June, suggesting that an independent European defense force might be needed.

NATO President Mark Rutte congratulated Merz on his victory in a post on X, expressing his aspiration to work with him at this crucial moment for collective security, and stressing the need for Europe to increase its defense spending under Merz’s leadership.

Merz also criticized foreign interference in the German elections, pointing to Trump adviser Elon Musk’s support for the Alternative for Germany party, describing the interference as massive pressure from Washington and Moscow.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Merz stressed that European support so far hasn’t been sufficient, and that if it had been, the war wouldn’t have lasted three years.

He expressed his concern about the US-Russian rapprochement without involving Europe, stressing that Germany needs a government capable of moving quickly to solve these problems.

Merz stressed that he would rule out any alliance with the Alternative for Germany party, stressing that he would work to form a government that represents all Germans and seeks to address the challenges.

Former US President Donald Trump had expressed his happiness with the conservatives’ victory in the German elections, noting that the German people were tired of the irrational agenda on energy and immigration, as is the case in the United States.