The telephone call scheduled for today, September 9, between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump has been postponed at the request of the German side.
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The decision was announced in Berlin by German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius during a press conference.
The call had been planned in connection with the anniversary of September 11, but the postponement came at a time of heightened tensions in relations, following Trump’s recent comments on developments in Germany’s domestic politics.
Kornelius did not say whether the postponement was linked to the US president’s reaction to the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a strong result.
According to the German spokesman, the change of plans was not due to the chancellor’s commitments on his schedule.
The debate was sparked by a message from Trump on the Truth Social platform, in which he described the AfD’s success as a “truly important evening.”
The US president linked the strengthening of the party, among other things, to German citizens’ dissatisfaction with migration policies.
In the same post, Trump also used the acronym “MGGA,” a German version of his “MAGA” slogan, which stands for “Make America Great Again.” In this case, it meant “Make Germany Great Again.”
When asked whether the US president’s comments had influenced the postponement of the call, Kornelius did not give a direct answer.
“I have nothing to add to the chancellor’s statements and Merz’s reference to the agenda,” he said.
The spokesman recalled that the German government generally does not comment on statements by foreign heads of state or government. Nevertheless, he reiterated Chancellor Merz’s position that comments and interference from abroad concerning political developments inside Germany should be treated with particular caution.
Merz has said that such interference is inappropriate and that the same standard should also apply in the opposite direction.
While the call was postponed, the German chancellor expressed clear support for the United States on the eve of the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“Twenty-five years ago, the United States could rely on the full solidarity of Germany and Europe. Even today, Germany is ready, together with the United States, to defend the values that define and unite us,” Merz said through his spokesman.
He recalled that the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania were also experienced in Germany as a blow against shared values, freedom and democracy.
The chancellor also stressed that transatlantic cooperation must continue and that, together with the United States, “freedom, democracy and respect” must be defended.
