German Election Winner Merz Vows ‘Independence’ From US, Europe’s ‘Militarisation’ Amid Trump Threat

Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance secured victory in the February 23 elections, with leader Friedrich Merz set to become the next chancellor. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved record gains, nearly doubling its vote share to over 20 percent amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment and security concerns. Merz has pledged a crackdown on irregular immigration and urged a swift coalition formation, warning that Europe must strengthen its defence and reduce reliance on the United States. World leaders, including Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, reacted to the result, highlighting its impact on European politics and transatlantic relations. n18oc_world n18oc_crux