Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Washington was met with favorable coverage back home, with many hailing a new political style that contrasts with that of his predecessors, Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel.
The consensus was that he handled it quite well: The new German ChancellorFriedrich Merzgot through hisfirst visit to US President Donald Trumpwithout any heated exchanges or diplomatic faux pas. Although he hardly had a chance to speak during the nearly 50-minute press conference in the Oval Office, Merz was able to say that Germany will continue to supportUkraine in its defense against Russia.
For his part, Trump treated the conservative politician with more respect than he did former ChancellorOlaf Scholz, who was not invited to the White House, or Angela Merkel, whom Trump once famously refused to shake hands with in the Oval Office.
Things have been pretty busy in German politics since May 6, when Merz, of the center-rightChristian Democratic Union(CDU), took office. Since then, Germany's new head of government has made surprising statements and bold announcements nearly every week.
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This is in contrast to his predecessor Scholz, of the center-leftSocial Democratic Party(SPD), who became known for his tendency to keep the public in the dark about his plans. Scholz consistently urged his staff to adhere to the motto: "We will not be upset, we will not become hysterical." In other words, he was at pains to convey a sense of calm.
Merz, on the other hand, never hid his impatience at having to wait so long in the wings before finally securing the office he so coveted. In 2002, he lost a power struggle with Merkel for the leadership of the CDU. Frustrated, Merz moved into the private sector and only returned to politics when it became clear that Merkel intended to step down in 2021.
Four years later, at the age of 69, he finally reached the pinnacle of power in Germany. The chancellorship is the first public office Merz has held in his life.
Scholz and Merz couldn't have more different personalities. The former is a sober, soft-spoken northern German who had plenty of government experience before he became chancellor. Scholz was the mayor of Hamburg and then the federal finance minister under Merkel.
By contrast, Merz, by nature very conservative and easily irritated, rose quickly through his party ranks even without administrative political experience. Nor are the two politicians particularly fond of each other.
DW Chief Political Editor Michaela Küfner knows both men well, having accompanied the two leaders on several foreign trips.
Reflecting on the different styles of the two politicians and their predecessor, she noted: "While Merkel always thought with the outcome in mind and Scholz was reluctant to even describe a political goal before he had paved the way for it, Merz clearly defines his goals."
According to Küfner's analysis, this represents a significant political shift in itself.
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It tookScholz until the summer of 2022 to visit Ukraine, which had been invaded by Russia in the spring of that year. For a long time, Scholz remained secretive about whether he would supply weapons to the embattled country — though in the end he did.
Merz, on the other hand, visited Ukraine within days of taking office, together with French PresidentEmmanuel Macron, British Prime MinisterKeir Starmerand Polish Prime MinisterDonald Tusk, when they announced that there would soon be a ceasefire and peace talks.
But this still hasn't come to pass, with PresidentDonald Trumpappearing to have backed out of his earlier commitment to forge a lasting peace. Given the US president's unpredictability, this was not really a surprise, something Scholz would certainly have taken into account.
"Following the strong performance with Macron, Tusk, and Starmer came this diplomatic embarrassment," said Küfner. "Merz still has to prove that this defeat can translate into strong leadership."
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The change in style in Germany's policy toward Israel has been even more noticeable. After theIslamist militia Hamas attacked Israelin October 2023, Scholz's response was essentially to insist on Israel's right to defend itself. This remained his stance even as the Israeli army took increasingly brutal action against the civilian population in Gaza. The European Union, as well as the United States, Germany and several other countries classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
As an opposition politician at the time, Merz also showed strong support for Israel and even announced that, unlike Scholz, he would demonstrate that support by inviting Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuto the Chancellery. That stance did not waver even after theInternational Criminal Courtin The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November for crimes against humanity.
But soon after taking office, Merz made something of a U-turn. A few days ago, he said he no longer understood Israel's actions in the Gaza war, before adding that they could no longer be justified as a legitimate fight against Hamas terrorism. Never before has a German chancellor spoken so bluntly about the actions of the Israeli government.
"Merz's criticism of Israel's actions in Gazais a historic step," said Küfner. "He is not afraid to directly criticize the Israeli prime minister about alleged violations of international law. This is a new tone from Germany." With this tone, Merz raised a question that Scholz had successfully avoided: How far does the German reason of state,the commitment to Israel's security, actually extend?
What this means in practical terms for German-Israeli relations remains to be seen. Even under Scholz, arms deliveries to Israel had been relatively limited, and Merz has not announced an end to these deliveries. Nor has he repeated his earlier invitation to Netanyahu.
In practical terms, not much has really changed, but the tone is definitely different. This is likely to continue over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Scholz is now observing all this from his position as an ordinary member of the Bundestag. And he has not yet made any comments on his successor's policies.
This article was originally written in German.
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