Germany's Merz cancels Trump call after US president praises far-right AfD election win
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a call with Donald Trump after the US president praised far-right AfD state election gains, warning trans-Atlantic ties are "probably over" for now.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a planned phone call with US President Donald Trump after the American leader publicly celebrated state election gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The election results in eastern Germany, including a victory for the AfD in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, dealt Merz's conservative party its worst state election performance since 1949, a result Merz called a "disaster."
Following the dispute, Merz stated that the post-World War II era of "unconditional" trans-Atlantic ties is "probably over" for now. State intelligence services continue to monitor the anti-immigration AfD, which is classified as far-right extremist in several states.
Sources: BBC News, Bloomberg, Cyprus Mail, France24, Sweden Herald, The Guardian
Sources
- Sweden Herald — Trump praises AfD’s election success in Saxony-Anhalt
- The Guardian — Germany’s Merz cancels phone call with Trump after social media post celebrating AfD win – Europe live
- Bloomberg — Merz Says US Friendship Built Since War ‘Probably Over’ for Now
- Cyprus Mail — AfD wins German state as Merz’s conservatives suffer historic rout
- France24 — Five takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far-right gains
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, 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 16, 2026, 03:00 PM UTCGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancels call with Trump following AfD election post
- Sep 11, 2026, 05:30 AM UTCFar-right AfD wins historic state election in Saxony-Anhalt