Overview

• Speaking at the Schwarz Ecosystem Summit, the German chancellor said parliamentary democracy, free expression, and judicial independence in the United States face mounting pressure.
• He argued the trends developed over years and would not be undone quickly or by one vote.
• As evidence, he pointed to the indictment of former FBI director James Comey after public pressure from President Donald Trump and ABC’s temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show, which Trump praised.
• Merz stressed that the rules-based order is now questioned not only by autocracies but also by America, despite his longstanding transatlantic ties including leadership of Atlantikbrücke and work with BlackRock.
• He framed his mandate as protecting an open, liberal democratic order in Germany and the European Union.