🔶 Merz: The era of “unconditional friendship” between Europe and the United States has ended

Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, says that the “unconditional friendship” between the United States and Europe that had been formed since World War II has, at least under current conditions, come to an end. Bloomberg described these remarks as the latest sign of a rift in “transatlantic” relations on both sides of the Atlantic during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Merz added: “On the other side of the Atlantic, we are seeing changes in political positions as well as changes in the way the Atlantic alliance is viewed—changes that we didn’t think would be possible.”

Friedrich Merz made these remarks on the eve of the Sunday, 29 Shahrivar (20 September) election for the Berlin state parliament, and during an election gathering at the headquarters of the Christian Democratic Party of Germany (CDU) in Berlin.

The chancellor compared current relations with the United States with visits to Berlin by former U.S. presidents, and referenced the famous speeches by John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.