Friedrich Merz Elected Chancellor: Germany’s New Coalition Faces Trumpian Pressure and Domestic Dissent

Friedrich Merz has been elected chancellor. Germany thus has a new government at a time when change is necessary, and many in Europe expect a more active German role.

Photo: Friedrich Merz

Despite unexpected drama in the Bundestag, Germany received the expected new government yesterday. Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in alliance with the CSU, will become the tenth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, in coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD). Merz's cabinet will have eighteen members. The CDU and SPD will each hold seven ministries, and the CSU three.

Behind the coalition, according to February's election results, stand 328 members of the Bundestag, although this number proved fluid. Merz received the required support only in the second round, having won just 310 of the needed 316 votes in the first round—a historical precedent. Some members of the coalition abstained from supporting the new government. German media differ in reporting: some claim all 18 dissenters were from the CDU, others from the SPD. In the second round, Merz's government received 325 votes.

Against AfD

Yesterday’s secret vote in the Bundestag brought an unpleasant surprise and a heavy blow to Merz. Headlines in German media read “Eighteen Rebels,” “Pure Embarrassment,” “Shaken Merz,” and “Brought Down by His Own Ranks.”

However, the vote demonstrated that Germany’s political elite remains compact and unwilling to allow change, even under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. The second-round vote reaffirmed a standing consensus to keep Alternative for Germany (AfD) out of power.

Merz and others' refusal to bring AfD into government marks the first major defeat for Trump’s administration in its effort to reshape the West. AfD had the backing of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.

This trio didn’t hold back on criticism of Germany, especially after Berlin designated AfD as a far-right extremist entity. Last week, Rubio called the decision a “veiled tyranny” on social media platform X, stating that “Germany just gave a spy agency new powers to monitor the opposition” and warning Berlin to “change course.” Vance joined in criticizing Berlin, and Musk has for months used his platform X and other means to support AfD.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry responded to Rubio’s critique by saying, “That’s democracy,” and emphasized that the decision followed a “thorough and independent investigation to protect our constitution and the rule of law.” They stated that they had learned from their history “that far-right extremism must be stopped.”

For a Better Germany—with the Same Policies

It is rare for the German political elite to resist Washington so openly. But that stance needs continuity—in this case, a political figure capable of shaping German policy both domestically and internationally. Germany is in crisis, and AfD is proof of that. Some voters expressed their frustration with mainstream parties by supporting the far right.

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has gone from crisis to crisis. In the early days of the invasion, Berlin appeared lost. Some of its moves—such as offering Ukraine everything but weapons—left Kyiv stunned. But once U.S. President Joe Biden rallied dozens of countries to aid Ukraine, Germany emerged as a leader. Eventually, it severed economic ties with Russia, gave up cheap energy, and began strengthening its military.

Merz's chancellorship is expected to continue Olaf Scholz’s policies, who was forced into a sharp pivot both at home and abroad. Merz is similarly pressured to take clear stances. Washington has many grievances with him, ties with Moscow are poor, and European allies want Berlin to take the lead in shaping a new European policy.

One of the first to congratulate Merz on his appointment was French President Emmanuel Macron: “It’s up to us to make the Franco-German engine stronger than ever” and “accelerate our European agenda for sovereignty, security, and competitiveness,” he wrote.

Merz’s Signature

For now, Merz will continue Germany’s policies toward Ukraine and Russia. Like Macron, he is not ready to follow Trump unconditionally and understands this calls for more autonomy in the West. In his earlier political career, Merz was a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin, Trump’s administration, and China.

Merz must therefore pursue a more independent foreign policy and stand by his belief that Europe must strengthen its defense to reduce dependency on NATO—i.e., the United States. That will be the task of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who held the same post in the previous government and is leading an ambitious project to bolster Germany’s military.

Merz’s intention to chart an independent foreign policy is also reflected in his appointment of Johann Wadephul as Foreign Minister and Gunther Krichbaum as Minister for Europe—both CDU members. CDU will, for the first time in many years, control the foreign ministry, suggesting that Berlin may pursue ideas that differed from those of former Green Party minister Annalena Baerbock.

Merz has previously shown himself to be a pro-American politician, a proponent of Atlanticism, NATO, the European Union, and a united West. He supports economic liberalism and capitalism more broadly. This means that a clash with the Trump administration and its supporters could unfold precisely along these lines, as Merz believes the West must continue to uphold its core ideals.

Lastly, let’s turn to the Balkans, which are not at the top of Merz’s priority list. Still, his Balkan policy may be put to the test. If he is against Putin, he must also oppose his Balkan proxies. If he supports a united Europe and the West, he must show it in the Balkans. Foreign Minister Wadephul has worked with High Representative Christian Schmidt and supported him upon arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Germany’s economic policy will impact the region, which is tightly economically linked to Germany—making Merz an important figure for the Balkans as well.

The article was previously published on nap.ba

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