New chancellor warns US against interfering in German domestic affairs

BERLIN

Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday warned the US against interfering in his country’s domestic politics.

"I would like to embolden and encourage the American government to let domestic politics in Germany be domestic politics and to largely stay out of these partisan considerations," Merz said in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF.

The US government must "stay out" of German domestic politics, he reiterated while pointing out that he plans to have a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Thursday.

He added that he does not yet know Trump personally, but will speak with him "openly."

Merz stressed he himself had never "interfered in the American election campaign and taken a one-sided side."

The chancellor accused the US government of spreading “absurd views of the Federal Republic of Germany.”

Asked about US support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, he said: "I've always had the impression that America can distinguish between extremist parties and parties of the political center."

Representatives of the US government repeatedly and aggressively supported the AfD during the election campaign, and Trump confidant Elon Musk even interviewed AfD leader Alice Weidel.

Most recently, the White House sharply criticized the German government for classifying the AfD as right-wing extremist.