After the attack on Iran by the US and Israel, Merz spoke of the „dilemma” that nothing had been achieved against the leadership of Iran via international legal measures in recent decades. Friedrich Merz lamented both in Germany’s Bundestag federal parliament and on trips overseas the end of a rules-based international order and of multilateralism.
What is behind this? „It is not so much about how the German government really assesses the Israeli-American course of action, rather it is about calming the transatlantic relationship,” Henning Hoff from the German Council on Foreign Relations told DW. Above all, Merz did not want to publicly anger or contradict Trump.
In the meantime, Friedrich Merz is displaying a type of quiet tolerance of Trump’s approach. He does not fully approve of it, expresses doubts, but does not condemn it.
This is not an entirely new approach. Following the US attack on Venezuela in January and the abduction of its leader Nicolas Maduro, the chancellor evasively labeled the legal situation „complicated,” despite this military intervention also being unanimously considered to be against international law.
And in June last year, when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities, the chancellor said: „That is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.”
„In reality, the chancellor arguably has a situational relationship with international law,” said Hoff.
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This approach has not been well-received across German politics, even within the governing coalition, which comprises the two conservative Union parties — Merz’ Christian Democratic Union (CDU) plus the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) — and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD). SPD foreign affairs spokesperson Adis Ahmetovic said: „We share the goal of Iran not being allowed to have atomic bombs.” However, that did not justify „a war with unforeseeable consequences for the entire region.”
Opposition parties are taking a harder line. Author and longtime Green Party member Jürgen Trittin, who served 25 years as a Green MP in the Bundestag, said: „To openly stand against international law now violates Germany’s fundamental security interests.”
Lea Reisner, a Bundestag MP from the socialist Left Party, called Merz’ meeting with Trump an „undignified, but most of all fruitless performance.” The chancellor had „allowed Trump to parade him around as a background actor,” who, after three minutes of speaking time, offered 30 minutes of merely „nodding in agreement.”
CSU Bundestag parliamentarian Alexander Hoffmann countered, arguing that while international law was of the highest importance, „it is not allowed to become a safeguard clause for terrorist regimes.” He added that the focus must be on „unequivocally demonstrating solidarity with the US.”
In an interview with the private NTV channel, Tino Chrupalla, the co-leader of Germany’s largest opposition party, the far-right Alternative for Germany, clearly distanced himself from the attack by the US and Israel, also criticizing President Donald Trump. He said Trump started out as a peace president, but would end up as a „war president.” His choice of words drew criticism from the pro-Trump faction in his party. Several AfD members of parliament are in Washington again this week to meet with Republican politicians.
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A year ago, Merz still sounded very different. He appeared shocked when Donald Trump humiliated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy live on camera during a meeting in the White House, blaming him in part for the war against his country. At that time, when he was not yet chancellor, Merz promised that it would be his top priority to strengthen Europe so that „step by step, we can achieve independence from the US.”
However, he has not given up on his goal, Henning Hoff thinks: „Merz knows that, after decades of neglect, Europe — especially Germany — needs time to build their own defensive and deterrent capabilities so that, if need be, they can prevent further aggression from Vladimir Putin’s Russia, even without the US. But that can’t happen overnight. It seems that Merz’s calculation is that in the meantime he will side with the Trump administration, just in case.” In addition, the chancellor also wants to „refrain from anything he thinks could harm the German economy right now.”
If this is the chancellor’s strategy, it comes at a price. European allies, the UK and Spain, noticed that Merz sat silently and did not defend them when Trump heavily criticized them for either hesitating (the UK) or refusing (Spain) to make their military bases available for an attack on Iran. During the Oval Office meeting, Merz also said Spain must be convinced to increase its NATO defense spending.
Merz said later that he defended both governments in one-on-one discussions with Trump. However, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares considered Merz’s conduct a betrayal. He expected „the same solidarity that Spain showed, for example, toward Denmark when there were tariff threats (by Trump) and the intention to deprive Denmark of its territorial integrity with regard to Greenland,” Albares said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster TVE. He could not imagine that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel or Merz’ predecessor Olaf Scholz would have made such statements, he said.
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In addition, Russia, China or critics from the Global South could raise accusations of double standards. The German government considered it to be crossing a red line when Trump threatened to take over Greenland from its ally Denmark, by force if necessary. In Iran’s case, however, almost anything seems acceptable.
Henning Hoff from the German Council on Foreign Relations agrees with this: „It is a dangerous development that the German government and European countries are continuing to soften their foreign policy principles of commitment to international law and a rules-based order. The accusation of double standards cannot be dismissed.”
It was the German chancellor’s third visit to the White House since taking office last May. Merz has often said people must be self-confident when engaging with Trump. However, at least during their joint public appearance, the roles seemed clear: the German chancellor remained silent almost the entire time, letting the president speak and put others down.
This article was originally written in German.
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