German elections: Trump congratulates Friedrich Merz as far-right candidate wins

The US president says the new government offers a glimmer of hope for Europe, amid speculation Elon Musk may have tipped the scales in favour of the new right-wing leadership.

Donald Trump has offered his warm congratulations to the winner of the German election, saying the swing to the right marked a “great day” for the country.

However, the US President didn’t mention the winning CDU/CSU, or party leader Friedrich Merz by name, in a new social media post written in all capitals.

“MUCH LIKE THE USA, THE PEOPLE OF GERMANY GOT TIRED OF THE NO COMMON SENSE AGENDA, ESPECIALLY ON ENERGY AND IMMIGRATION, THAT HAS PREVAILED FOR SO MANY YEARS,” Mr Trump wrote.

“THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR GERMANY, AND FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF A GENTLEMAN NAMED DONALD J. TRUMP. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL — MANY MORE VICTORIES TO FOLLOW!!!”

The post comes after Mr Trump unleashed two weeks of repeated social media attacks on European politicians as he opened talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

US President Donald Trump said the swing towards right-wing politics marks a “great day for Germany” in a new post on social media. Picture: Roberto Schmidt / AFP

DEFENCE TOPS NEW GERMAN AGENDA

Germany’s conservative election winner Friedrich Merz says Europe must boost its own defence capabilities amid growing US-Europe tensions over Ukraine and NATO funding.

It came as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lamented a “bitter” defeat after his centre-left Social Democrats slumped to a heavy loss in the national elections.

“The election result is poor and I bear responsibility,” Mr Scholz told SPD party members, while congratulating conservative opposition leader Mr Merz, whose party came out on top.

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union, has claimed victory in the German elections. Picture: AFP

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party celebrated a record election result that fuelled its wildest hopes of one day entering government.

The anti-immigration party scored about 20 percent according to early projections, second only to the conservatives of Mr Merz.

“We have achieved a historic result,” the AfD’s top candidate Alice Weidel told supporters cheering and waving the German national flag at an election night party in Berlin.

Mr Merz has vowed to rule Europe’s largest economy by returning to his Christian Democrat Union party’s conservative roots, ease restraints on business and crack down on irregular immigration.

Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany, is celebrating a huge gain. Picture: AFP

“For me, the absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA” in defence matters, Mr Merz said.

“After Donald Trump’s statements in the last week it is clear that the Americans... are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe,” he said in a TV debate with other top candidates after the election.

“I am very curious to see what will happen between now and the NATO summit at the end of June,” he said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suffered a “bitter” defeat in the elections. Picture: AFP

But he added that it was questionable “whether we will still be talking about NATO in its current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defence capability much more quickly”.

WINNERS CONDEMN MUSK INTERVENTION

Mr Merz also reiterated his condemnation of “the recent interventions in the German election campaign by Elon Musk”.

The US tech billionaire and key Trump ally stridently supported the far-right and Moscow-friendly Alternative for Germany (AfD).

“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk recently stated in a conversation on X.

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance held a one-on-one meeting with AfD leader Alice Weidel at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.

The pair reportedly discussed key issues including the German election, the war in Ukraine and the “firewall of the right” that has prevented far-right parties from joining coalitions.

Meanwhile, Mr Vance declined to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Christian Democratic Union supporters back Friedrich Merz at the CDU headquarters in Berlin. Picture: Getty Images

“The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and impertinent than the interventions we have seen from Moscow, so we are under massive pressure from two sides,” Mr Merz said.

WHO IS FRIEDRICH MERZ?

Mr Merz, 69, is a trained lawyer with a strong business background.

His resume includes investment fund BlackRock and many corporate boards, which have made him a millionaire — however, he has never previously held a government leadership post.

Nonetheless, Mr Merz seeks to project a statesman-like persona and has voiced confidence he can deal with Donald Trump, whom he has labelled “predictably unpredictable”.

As the three-way coalition of centre-left Chancellor Scholz floundered, Mr Merz and the opposition CDU/CSU block rained withering fire on the outgoing “green-left” government.

Polls had long declared Mr Merz the strong favourite to oust Mr Scholz, despite lukewarm personal approval ratings, and bring an end to what Mr Merz calls “three lost years”.

In a recent blistering parliament speech, Mr Merz likened Mr Scholz and his allies to business managers who have bankrupted a company but still ask to extend their contracts.

- with Agence France-Presse (AFP)

Originally published as German elections: Trump congratulates Friedrich Merz as far-right candidate wins