Following the 23 February election, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz has criticised Donald Trump, calling for European defence independence. He warned that NATO’s future was uncertain and called for urgent action on European security. Despite strong rhetoric, his party won only 28.6% of the vote - its weakest victory since 1949. He is negotiating a coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Olaf Scholz, but deep divides remain. Merz favours arming Ukraine, reviving nuclear energy, cutting welfare, and maintaining Germany’s constitutional deficit ceiling, while Scholz has resisted sending missiles to Ukraine and advocates loosening fiscal constraints. Immigration is another battleground, with Merz pushing to curb family reunification. Germany’s role in NATO, economic policy, and military spending hang in the balance as these leaders attempt to bridge their stark differences. The election results, especially the strong showing by the far-right party AfD, highlighted the deep divide between East and West Germany: see