The victory of the conservatives in the federal parliamentary elections in Germany swings the pressure pendulum back to the other side of the Atlantic. After the volley of blows from Donald Trump and his associates on the European-American alliance, political events in Germany point to stronger European resistance and reaction.
The elections in Germany and the expected victory of the coalition of Christian Democrats and the Bavarian Christian Social Union were anticipated in Europe as the moment when the state of shock ends due to the lack of allied messages from Washington.
The election result also marked the end of confusion among European leaders about what the European response to Trump's challenge should look like, and even more about how it can reflect full unity.
French President Emmanuel Macron largely took care of this by organising a series of meetings with European leaders immediately after Washington expressed its extreme distrust of European partners over the peace dialogue on Ukraine.
Today's meeting between President Macron and the US President at the White House is part of this joint European response to the negative shift in Washington's transatlantic policy.
Encouragement for Macron
These are the first announcements by the future German chancellor and winner of yesterday's elections, the leader of the moderate right, Friedrich Merz, that his absolute priority will be to "strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA."
His strong pro-European rhetoric and even stronger reservations about relations with the US, as Donald Trump wants them to be, are a strong support for Emmanuel Macron in the important first direct talks between a European leader and the new US president.
The French and German leaders now look much more like partners in common defence than competitors for a leadership position
In this respect, the French and German leaders now look much more like partners in common "defence" than competitors for a leadership position on European soil.
British PM Keir Starmer, who will speak to Trump on Thursday, will join them in achieving the European priority while putting aside the battle for intra-European prestige.
Merz's personal shift
As a full-blooded transatlanticist, Friedrich Merz announced with tremendous emotion on Sunday evening a major personal shift in this regard, i.e., a major change in the German and European understanding of the partnership with the USA.
“I would never have thought that I would have to say something like this in a TV show but, after Donald Trump's remarks last week it is clear that this government does not care much about the fate of Europe," said Merz even before the final results of the German elections were announced.
On election night, the future German chancellor had pretty much mapped out the course of his government, at least as far as relations with the USA, European allies, and within NATO are concerned.
At the heart of his efforts to redefine transatlantic relations is Trump's position on Ukraine, which Merz does not separate from his position on Europe in terms of security.
The redefinition of relations will inevitably have an impact on relations within NATO
Judging by Mr Merz's announcements, this redefinition of relations will inevitably have an impact on relations within NATO, with him advocating for an independent European security capability if there is no restructuring of relations within NATO.
In doing so, Merz is strongly aligned with those forces in Europe that have long advocated reducing their defence dependency on America and strengthening their own capabilities and decision-making spaces. In this endeavour, he will certainly have the support of France and its president.
Washington's expensive support for the AfD
The resentment that Mr Merz exuded towards the new American president's moves in his first post-election appearance seemed to be the result of his harsh realisation that the international order of liberal democracy and economics, of which he has been a lifelong supporter and promoter, is collapsing.
Nevertheless, this politician, whose role model is Ronald Reagan, has not given in to despair because he knows that the destruction of the world, of which he is a part, emanates from America. His precise outline of future German foreign policy, especially the transatlantic course, shows that he wants to take responsibility and try to correct the positions of the American administration and the president.
Friedrich Merz, meanwhile, has not remained silent about the outrageous favouritism shown to his direct political opponents on the far right, the AfD, by Trump's closest associates, Elon Musk and US Vice President JD Vance.
As the AfD will not be part of the government, the traditional German "firewall" against the far right will be strengthened
He put the intensity and nature of their interference in the German elections on the same level as the Kremlin's attempts to influence the election result.
Although, as expected, the far-right AfD came second in the elections with around 20%, achieving a historic success, this result will also have an undesirable effect on the far-right, especially their supporters from the US.
As the AfD will certainly not be part of the government, the traditional German "firewall" against the far right, which was weakened by the moves of Merz's CDU just before the election, will be strengthened.
The beginning of the correction of Trump's policy
Merz's conservatives and the supporters of other mainstream German parties, who have confirmed their convincing majority, can assume that the American favourites have suffered a heavy defeat in the German elections.
Considering that the support from the top of the American state for the far right was very warm and public, the defeat is all the more severe. This is enough to raise the question—are the USA and Germany really allies?
The American favourites have suffered a heavy defeat in the German elections - Elon Musk
The electoral victory of the Conservatives, followed by the rather decisive pro-European rhetoric of the future chancellor, as well as the meetings of President Macron and PM Starmer with Donald Trump, could mark the beginning of a correction of Washington's previous positions on Europe, including Ukraine.
The American president certainly has the option of not abandoning his previous underestimating style towards European partners and completely ignoring Ukraine. Given that he only took office a month ago, little can impact his presidential authority, which creates the conditions for such a potential development.
On the other hand, the damage he has done in this short month with his attitude towards Europe, including Ukraine, together with his rapprochement with Moscow's positions, which even the Kremlin could not expect, has put him in a gap where he has to think about softening his previous positions.
The future German chancellor's determination to protect the European value and security structure, for which he already has the support of the most powerful partners on the continent, will undoubtedly force him to do so.
