New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to stay out of Germany’s internal affairs, following public support by several American officials for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In an interview with ZDF television, Merz confirmed that he will hold his first phone call with President Trump on Thursday. He emphasized his intention to “encourage and urge the American government to leave domestic German politics to the Germans, and to avoid partisan considerations.”
The warning follows remarks from U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who sharply criticized Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) for classifying AfD as a right-wing extremist organization, placing it under increased surveillance.
Merz stated that he would do “everything possible to regain the trust” of voters currently supporting AfD, now the leading opposition party in the Bundestag. He acknowledged that while the intelligence service’s classification was serious, it did “not solve the core issue.”
On Gaza
In his first interview as chancellor, Merz also expressed deep concern about the situation in Gaza, urging Israel—where his foreign minister will soon visit—to “uphold its humanitarian obligations.”
“Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas,” Merz said, “but it must also remain a country that respects humanitarian standards”—especially amid a “terrible war” in the region where combatants must be distinguished from “Hamas terrorists.”
