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Germany to move toward 'independence' from US, new leader Friedrich Merz says
ABC News via MSN ^ | 02/24/2025

Posted on 02/24/2025 10:37:19 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Before the final votes in Germany's election were even counted, Friedrich Merz, the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party, who is set to become the next chancellor, promised a major shift in relations with the U.S.

In a post-election debate, he promised to confront head-on a new reality -- that the Trump administration looks to overturn about 80 years of policy and raises the prospect of abandoning security guarantees for Europe.

"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," Merz said Sunday.

Merz added, "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."

Merz’s conservative CDU party emerged as the largest party in Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, with 28.6% of the vote. The SPD, the party of the incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz, came in third place.

Trump and members of his both his administrations have called over the years for U.S. allies to invest more in NATO, and for Europe to take responsibility for its own security.

"However, we’ve also made it clear for years -- decades, even -- that it is unacceptable that the United States and the United States taxpayer continues to bear the burden not only of the cost of the war in Ukraine but of the defense of -- of Europe," Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, said last week.

He added, "We fully support our NATO Allies. We fully support the Article 5 commitment. But it’s time for our European allies to step up."

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Germany; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: friedrichmerz; germany; nato
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1 posted on 02/24/2025 10:37:19 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Merz also talked about NATO, suggesting there may even be need to replace the military alliance with a new European security structure.

“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 defense capability much more quickly.”


2 posted on 02/24/2025 10:37:27 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Won’t happen because Germany has no money and no energy, All Bluster, he will end up making a coalition government with liberals and the liberals will continue doing what the were doing.

imo he is a liberal uniparty plant, much like our rinos here


3 posted on 02/24/2025 10:39:31 AM PST by Skwor
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To: SeekAndFind
Fred Merz?


4 posted on 02/24/2025 10:39:58 AM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Skwor

Another Merkel.

Enjoy your Muslims, Germany.


5 posted on 02/24/2025 10:40:24 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Skwor

Well, the U.S., at the behest of the Globalists, did blow up their pipeline.


6 posted on 02/24/2025 10:41:54 AM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: Skwor

NVDA is 1 1/2 times the size of the entire German stock market. What ever Germany decides to do or not do is irrelevant


7 posted on 02/24/2025 10:42:46 AM PST by calljack (Stealing the 2020 Election will go down in history as the worst political miscalculation of all time)
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To: T.B. Yoits

Biden did and libs supported it. The people who voted Trump in absolutely did not support that.


8 posted on 02/24/2025 10:43:22 AM PST by Skwor
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To: SeekAndFind

Nicht so gut!


9 posted on 02/24/2025 10:45:04 AM PST by Honorary Serb (Kosovo is Serbia! Free Srpska! Abolish ICTY!)
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To: SeekAndFind

I see no short term downside to this.


10 posted on 02/24/2025 10:45:37 AM PST by Fai Mao (Democrats need to go to prison.)
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To: SeekAndFind

In real life Vivian Vance and William Frawley could not stand one another. Vivian detested William.

So if Germany wants to reduce the USA’s influence in Europe in general and NATO in particular, go for it!


11 posted on 02/24/2025 10:47:51 AM PST by Maine Mariner
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To: SeekAndFind

Maybe if America’s economy gets humming, it might be time to polish up the Statue of Liberty, again.


12 posted on 02/24/2025 10:48:38 AM PST by Empire_of_Liberty
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To: SeekAndFind

The Germans just elected Fred Mertz?.....................

13 posted on 02/24/2025 10:49:06 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

GMTA!....................


14 posted on 02/24/2025 10:49:26 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

Fred and Ethel hated each other off camera.


15 posted on 02/24/2025 10:52:16 AM PST by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possible.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Go for it. I say we disband NATO and move all that money back to the US and let Europe go back to war with each other.

We have toted the financial load for over 75 years now. They don’t seem to appreciate it, and then lecture us on how we do things. If they had to pay their way for defense, they wouldn’t have so much “enlightened” money to spend on their elaborate social services!


16 posted on 02/24/2025 10:53:08 AM PST by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: SeekAndFind
it is clear that the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe

Why should the U.S. continue to bear responsibility for the fate of Europe? Put your big boy lederhosen on.

17 posted on 02/24/2025 10:55:02 AM PST by Jeff Chandler
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To: SeekAndFind

Bundeskanzler! Putin is on the phone!

“What does he want?”

I don’t know! Something about Königsberg…


18 posted on 02/24/2025 10:55:52 AM PST by Jim Noble (Assez de mensonges et de phrases)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

I always thought Vivian was hot.


19 posted on 02/24/2025 10:56:34 AM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: SeekAndFind

Lucy and Ricky will take care of this


20 posted on 02/24/2025 10:57:54 AM PST by HereInTheHeartland (“I don’t really care, Margaret.”)
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