Tag Archives: Friedrich Merz

German of the day: Bitte keine Überraschungen

November 14, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means no surprises, please.

Germans hate surprises. “Was nicht ausdrücklich erlaubt ist, ist verboten.” Anything not expressly permitted is prohibited. If Trump’s not careful here, there could soon be a peace deal for Ukraine. Without Europe having participated. As usual. Which is no surprise at least.

Merz Warns Trump About a Mega-Summit with Xi and Putin – This meeting will go down in history—and there is great concern about hasty deals that could come at the expense of Ukraine and Europe! U.S. President Donald Trump (80) announced on Friday that he would meet directly with Chinese leader Xi Jinping (73) and Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin (74). Chancellor Friedrich Merz (71, CDU) reacted immediately to the news—and, as a precaution, has already issued an appeal to Trump…

Merz and the Europeans are watching this meeting with concern. They fear that the three world powers will also reach agreements at the meeting regarding Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine—and in doing so, will pursue only their own respective interests.

Chancellor Merz has therefore called on the U.S. president to stand with Ukraine alongside European allies. He wants to convey the message to the U.S. “very clearly”: “Please, no surprises. Keep playing on Team Europe and on the same team as Ukraine, and let’s work together for true peace in Ukraine!”

Sometimes UN, sometimes U Out

September 17, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Ain’t nobody gonna listen to you at the UN anyway.

Merz cancels UN visit after AfD election win puts his leadership on the ropes – German chancellor gets support from state leaders but further far-right gains this weekend could spell the end.

Powerful German state leaders from Friedrich Merz’s party have rallied behind him as speculation builds that his days in office may be numbered.

The chancellor’s hold on power has looked increasingly shaky since a bombshell regional election result earlier this month in which the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party routed his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Saxony-Anhalt.

With two more states heading to the polls on Sunday where the AfD is expected to perform well, Merz cancelled a plan to speak at the UN general assembly in New York next week because “his presence is required in Berlin”, a government official said on condition of anonymity.

Germans caught copying Americans again

June 23, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

This time it’s “blame the Designated Bad Guy for everything.”

They just switched it from Trump to Merz.

Germans’ New National Sport: Blaming Friedrich Merz for Everything – Blaming the current chancellor cannot conceal the deeper, collective responsibility for Germany’s nearly 20 years of drift.

That impulse says less about Mr. Merz than about the political maturity of the Federal Republic.

Big Bang Theory

June 8, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

And practice.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has already ruled out a “big bang” of reforms out of consideration for the SPD and a frightened public. However, the verbal de-escalation ahead of the coalition committee meeting should not obscure the extent of the need for action and, above all, who must take the initiative to help Germany emerge from the economic crisis: the SPD, led by Labor and Social Affairs Minister Bärbel Bas, as well as the labor unions. But it won’t work without the cooperation of CSU leader Markus Söder, who is at times very much a social democrat.

“I am a great admirer of America”

May 16, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

That’s why I wouldn’t want to send my kids there.

They are too and might not come back.

German leader Merz says he ‘would not advise my children to go’ to US – Chancellor says he no longer views US as land of opportunity amid ‘deeply polarising’ social climate.

Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, already embroiled in a row with Donald Trump over the Iran war, has said he would not advise his children to study or work in the US in the current climate.

Merz is just figuring this out?

May 5, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking Tags: , , Leave a comment

Now?

Merz’s strategy for dealing with Trump’s anger: Tell him he’s right – After a perilous blowup with Washington, the chancellor is falling back on the familiar tactic of saying things the U.S. president likes to hear.

Facing new tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump on Germany’s prized auto industry — immediately after his threat to withdraw American troops — Chancellor Friedrich Merz has offered a disarmingly conciliatory response: Trump is essentially right.

Merz says Germany ‘being humiliated’ by German Chancellor

April 28, 2026 By in Helplessness, Home Cooking Tags: , , , Leave a comment

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reportedly said Monday that Germany’s leadership is humiliating Germany with its futile attempts to get the lame-ass country back on track again.

Germany’s economic headaches showing no signs of abating, Merz is doing his damndest to distract German voters’ attention away from his extremely disappointing lack of leadership skill.

2026 was meant to mark a new chapter for Germany but the economy’s “rebound” already looks more than feeble and the built-in opposition (SPD) for which Merz claims he has no alternative (Alternative for Germany anyone?) is the dying tail wagging what remains of a dying CDU/CSU dog.

AfDer the next election you might be toast

April 18, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Friedrich.

Germany news: Far-right AfD ahead of Merz’s conservatives – The far-right Alternative for Germany has nudged ahead of its political rivals in a new poll, the most recent of several that it has topped.

The far-right AfD is the country’s second largest party in nationwide polling and Germany’s largest opposition party.

A poll shows that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc would win 25% of the vote, down one percentage point. Support for the far-right Alternative for Germany is unchanged at 26%.

The US is not powerful enough to go it alone”

February 14, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Says the leader of Germany, a country that is not powerful enough to “go it” with the help of partners and allies.

Meaning, I suppose: “But we’ll help you if you ask nicely.”

US ‘not powerful enough to go it alone’, Merz tells Munich conference – German chancellor rebuts idea of American unilateralism and says ‘democracies have partners and allies.’

The US acting alone has reached the limits of its power and may already have lost its role as global leader, Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, warned Donald Trump at the opening of the Munich Security Conference.

Merz also disclosed he had held initial talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, over the possibility of joining France’s nuclear umbrella, underlining his call for Europe to develop a stronger self-standing security strategy.