Merz in Washington/ Unpredictable visit

2025-06-05 09:46:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Chancellor Friedrich Merz meets President Trump for the first time as Chancellor in Washington on Thursday. What to expect

Enthusiasm for the great friend, the USA, has declined in Germany with the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House. With his statements, Trump has shaken the sense of security of Germans in the USA. His statements on the conflict in Ukraine, the constant threats against the EU with punitive tariffs bring many concerns to Brussels and the German government. And it is precisely in such turbulent times, when the media is talking about the end of the transatlantic relationship, that a convinced transatlantic like Friedrich Merz goes to the USA. On Thursday (05.06.) Merz makes his first visit as Chancellor to the USA and meets with Trump at the White House.

The German media are very restrained in their assessments. "Visits to the US have always been a challenge for federal chancellors, because things are handled differently in the center of world power than in the German provinces. In this regard, Merz can be very happy if he gets through the working visit with Trump without any visible injuries," writes the Rhein-Neckar Zeitung.

Independence is a project of the future, Europe still cannot do without the US

Despite Trump's statements against Europe, Europe still needs the US, especially on security issues. However, the German Chancellor has made it clear that the focus is on Europe's and Germany's independence from the US. His statement after the election victory caused a stir when he said that independence from the US would be his "absolute priority" as well as strengthening Europe. On election night, after the first predictions came out, Merz said: "At least since Trump's statements a week ago, it is clear that this part of the American people is largely indifferent to the fate of Europe." This statement was made after the scandal in the Oval Office, when Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Zelensky in front of the cameras.

It must not have been easy for Merz, who is known as a staunch transatlantic, to make such statements. "Tagesschau" analyzes Friedrich Merz's relationship with the US, for whom one of the guarantees he grew up with is that "the United States - this powerful state on the other side of the Atlantic - is a close partner, even a friend of Germany. Throughout his life, Merz has lived this special German-American relationship, both as a business representative, but also as chairman of the Atlantic Bridge and, no less importantly, as a politician in various roles."

This is expected to be reflected in Merz's visit to Washington, according to German media. Three topics are likely to dominate Friedrich Merz's first transatlantic visit as chancellor: the dispute over tariffs threatened by Trump, Russia's war against Ukraine, and the discussion over NATO spending.

Germany's military spending increases

At least when it comes to NATO spending, Germany is making big strides toward meeting Trump's demands. Germany is on track to do more, Merz said. Specifically, 3.5 percent of gross domestic product will be spent on the military and an additional 1.5 percent on needed infrastructure. A total of hundreds of billions of euros. Germany's move may help to talk about Ukraine's support for Trump. This is where the US government is causing a lot of headaches for Europeans. Trump changes his stance from time to time. One moment he threatens Ukraine, the next he suddenly insults Putin, saying that he is killing a lot of people and has no idea what the hell Putin is doing. These sentences give Europeans hope. But the German newspaper "Handelsblatt" analyzing Merz's visit to the US still advises Merz, that "after a friendly greeting at the White House, Merz's focus should continue to be on strengthening Europe's independence."

From the perspective of the German government, it would be a success in these circumstances if Trump somehow stayed on the pro-Ukrainian course, writes "Tagesschau."

The dispute over tariffs

As if everything is not complicated enough these days, there is also the issue of tariffs. Trump says that this is his favorite word. He constantly threatens Europe with heavy punitive payments, a nightmare for Germany, which is known as an exporting nation. Friedrich Merz wants to present himself with confidence on this issue; after all, he represents the third largest economy in the world. And in fact, Europe is not empty-handed in this dispute. One possible lever could be higher taxes on the technology giants from Silicon Valley.

Merz himself considers the outcome of the tariff dispute uncertain. It could be that things don't work out, he said a few days ago in Berlin. Then Europe will have to decide how competitive it wants to be. "If necessary, even without America" ??- another phrase that Merz probably couldn't have imagined before.

Anyone who follows Trump's approach knows that a joint appearance in the Oval Office is difficult to plan. Even the smallest details can make the US president angry and vent his anger. Friedrich Merz is said to have prepared intensively for the meeting./ DW