Merz Urges Europe: "Let’s Be Independent From The U.S."

Europe must seek to “achieve independence” from the United States, Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, declared after exit polls showed his opposition conservatives were on track to win Sunday’s election.

Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party secured 28.6% of the vote. I Photo: Friedrich Merz Facebook

The vote also saw a surge in support for the far-right, Sophie Tanno and Helen Regan reported for CNN. Merz, a traditional conservative who has never previously held a government role, is poised to lead Europe’s largest economy and most populous country.

His center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party secured 28.6% of the vote.

“Let’s get the party started,” Merz, 69, told supporters at CDU headquarters in Berlin, signaling his intent to begin coalition negotiations swiftly as Europe grapples with US President Donald Trump’s disruptive approach to transatlantic relations.

Notably, the socialist Die Linke party also saw success, winning 8.8% of the vote—comfortably surpassing the 5% threshold required to enter parliament.

In a televised roundtable discussion later, Merz criticized what he described as US “intervention” in the German election campaign.

“The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic, drastic, and ultimately outrageous than those we have seen from Moscow,” he said. “We are under massive pressure from two sides, and my top priority is to create unity in Europe.”

He continued: “My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we can truly achieve independence from the USA. I never imagined I would have to say something like this on live television. But after Donald Trump’s statements last week, it is clear that the Americans—at least this administration—are largely indifferent to Europe’s fate.”

Frederik Pleitgen, Nadine Schmidt, Claudia Otto, Chris Stern, and Benjamin Brown also contributed to CNN’s reporting.