German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancels call with Trump following AfD election post
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a planned call with US President Donald Trump following Trump's praise for the far-right AfD's regional election victory.
Following the Alternative for Germany (AfD)'s regional election victory in Saxony-Anhalt, diplomatic and domestic fallout has intensified. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a scheduled phone call with US President Donald Trump after Trump publicly celebrated the far-right party's success on social media. In the Bundestag, Merz fiercely criticized the AfD, describing it as a "destructive force" and condemning its policy platform.
International concern grew as Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski described the election outcome as "very worrying." Facing heightened scrutiny over his own leadership, Merz urged lawmakers to focus on European security rather than political debates surrounding his future. Meanwhile, AfD representatives in Saxony-Anhalt stated they had initiated discussions to form a governing majority, even as domestic intelligence agencies maintain the regional branch's classification as an extremist group.
Sources: BBC News, Cyprus Mail, France24, Sweden Herald, The Guardian
Sources
- France24 — 🔴 Germany: Victory of far-right AfD in state election 'very worrying', says Polish FM
- Sweden Herald — Trump praises AfD’s election success in Saxony-Anhalt
- BBC News — Germany's Merz attacks AfD in stormy debate after far-right election win
- The Guardian — Germany’s Merz cancels phone call with Trump after social media post celebrating AfD win – Europe live
- Cyprus Mail — Europe’s security trumps debates about my future, Germany’s Merz says
Earlier coverage
- Sep 21, 2026, 03:00 PM UTCGermany's Merz cancels Trump call following US praise for far-right AfD gains
- Sep 21, 2026, 02:00 PM UTCGermany's Merz cancels Trump call after US president praises far-right AfD election win
- Sep 21, 2026, 10:00 AM UTCGerman chancellor Friedrich Merz confronts far-right AfD and pulls Trump call following election losses
- Sep 21, 2026, 08:00 AM UTCGerman chancellor cancels Trump call following far-right election praise
- Sep 20, 2026, 08:30 AM UTCGerman chancellor Merz distances Berlin from US following Trump praise for AfD
- Sep 20, 2026, 04:00 AM UTCMerz declares post-war US ties over after Trump praises AfD
- Sep 18, 2026, 04:30 AM UTCMerz says unconditional US-Europe ties are 'probably over' after Trump praises AfD
- Sep 11, 2026, 05:30 AM UTCFar-right AfD wins historic state election in Saxony-Anhalt