The consensus was that he handled it quite well: the new German Chanman Chancellor Frederick Merz was seen for the first time without any warm exchange or diplomatic impurities for US President Donald Trump. Although he had a chance to speak during a 50 -minute press conference at the Oval office, he was able to say that Germany would continue to support Ukraine in his defense against Russia.
For his share, Trump treated more respect with the conservative politician, as he was not invited to the White House, or Angela Merkel compared to former Chancellor Olaf Sholaz, which Trump once refused to join hands with the famous Oval office.
Things have been very busy in German politics since May 6, when Merz of the Center-rights Christian Democratic Union (CDU) assumed the position. Since then, the new government of Germany has made surprising statements and bold announcements almost every week.
The center-left is contrary to his predecessor Sholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), who are known for their tendency to keep the public in darkness about their plans. Sholaz constantly urged his employees to follow the motto: “We will not be up, we will not become history.” In OTH words, he was in pain to express the feeling of calm.
Merz: A politician full of impatience
On the other hand, Merz, sometimes even sometimes he was so distinguished before securing the office before his impatience to wait for so long in wings: In 2002, he freed a power struggle with Merkel for CDU’s leadership. Disappointed, Merz moved into the private sector and only moved into politics when it became clear that Merkel had intended to step down in 2021. Chancellor is the first public office that is a hero in his life.
Scholz and Merz may not have separate personnel. East is a quiet, soft -spoken northern German, which had a lot of experience of the government before becoming a Chancellor. The Sholz was the mayor of Hamburg and then the Federal Finance Minister under Merkel. In contrast, merz, very conservative and easily irritated by nature, quickly increased through your party, even with administrative political experiences. Nor are two politicians especially fond of each other.
‘What can we do?’ Vs ‘We should do this!’
The Chief Political Editor of DW, Michela Kufner, knows both men well, on many foreign trips with the two leaders. While reflecting various styles of the two politicians and their predecessor, he said: “While Merkel was always reluctant to describe the goal of a politics out and the shollaz in the mind. According to Kufnar’s analysis, it represents a significant political change in itself.
Policy on Ukraine
The scools were taken by the summer of 2022 to visit Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia in the spring of that year. For a long time, the shools remain secret about whether he would supply arms.
On the other hand, Merz visited Ukraine within the office days of the office, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Kir Strandmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusks, when they announced that there was a ceasefire and peace talks.
But it is still not passed, while President Donald Trump has dropped out of his initial commitment to create a permanent peace. Given the unexpectedness of the US President, it was not a real surprise, some would be in mind.
“This diplomatic embarrassment occurred after a strong performance with Macron, Tusk and Strandmer,” says Berlin -based correspondent Kufr. “Merz still has to prove that this defeat can translate into a strong leadership.”
Germany and Israel
The change in style in Germany’s policy towards Israel is even more noticeable. After the Islamist militia Hamas attacked Israel on October 2023, the response to the scools was required to emphasize Israeli’s right to rescue. This remained their stand, even the Israeli army took rapid action against the civilian population in Gaza Strip. The European Union, as well as the United States, Germany and many other countries classes Hamas as a terrorist organization.
At the time, as an opposition politician, Merz showed strong support for Israel and even announced that, unlike the Sholaz, he would showcase the support by inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Chancellori. The International Criminal Court in the Hague also did not forgive the attitude, it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu last November for crimes against humanity.
But soon after assuming the post, he made some U-turn: a few days ago, Merz said that he no longer understand that Israeli’s actions were in Gaza, before adding that they could be justified as a legitimate fight against Hamas terrorism. Earlier, a Chancellor has not spoken so clearly about the work of Israel government.
Kufner says: “Criticism of Merz of Israeli’s work in Gaza is a historic step. He is not afraid of criticizing the Israeli Prime Minister about the alleged violation of international falls, it is a new tone from Germany.” With this, the Merz Memorial’s scools successfully avoided: the German cause of the state, the commitment to the safety of Israel, how far from real detail is it?
What it would practically mean for German-Israel relations remains to be seen. Even under scools, arms delivery for Israel was relatively limited, and Merz has not announced the abolition of thesis delivery. Nor has he reiterated his initial invitation for Netanyahu.
Practically, much has not really changed, but the tone is definitely different. It is liked to continue in the coming weeks. Germany will have to get used to the new political style of Chancellor. Meanwhile, Sholaz is now watching all this from his position as an ordinary member of Bundestag. And Hey has not yet commented on the policies of his successor.
This article was original in German.
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