BERLIN (Reuters) – Opposition leader Friedrich Merz, the favorite to become Germany’s next chancellor, said Donald Trump’s second presidency would bring clarity to the European Union as he hosted conservative EU heavyweights in Berlin.
“I think Trump is very predictable,” Merz said at a press conference alongside Manfred Weber, head of the conservative European People’s Party (EPP), the largest parliamentary group in the European Parliament.
“In that sense, I think we can prepare for the fact that in the coming weeks and months there will be a lot more clarity and of course there will be many challenges,” he added.
Merz, head of Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc, is set to succeed Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose coalition with the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats collapsed in November over conflicting plans to revive the nation’s ailing economy.
Merz said Europe must unite in order to be respected in the world, especially in the United States, and that Trump’s inauguration on Monday will “accelerate our efforts to gather our power and act together.”
Trump’s hawkish stance should be seen as an opportunity, also in terms of joint European military procurement, he added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and conservative heads of state and government from countries including Sweden, Finland and Austria were among those attending the two-day gathering in the German capital.
In a joint declaration, the EPP said its priorities for 2025 are for Europe to regain its competitiveness, to reduce irregular migration and to strengthen security in light of “disinformation campaigns by foreign autocrats, terrorist attacks, organized crime and hybrid warfare in our border country. “
According to a Yougov poll published this week, Merz’s conservative bloc will win 30% of the vote in Germany’s February 23 election, making it by far the most likely to lead any future coalition. Scholz’s SPD is lagging behind with 18 percent of the vote, according to the poll.
