Merz warned of "five minutes to midnight" for a united Europe
Berlin, February 24 (Hibya) - Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU/CSU, which emerged as the largest party in yesterday's parliamentary elections in Germany, stated in a press conference that it is "five minutes to midnight" for Europe, emphasizing that there is a new momentum to respond to the challenge (from the US). He stressed that the core message must be "very clear: Europe is united" and that this is becoming increasingly urgent.
Merz stated that the CDU/CSU "clearly has the mandate to govern" and underlined that "especially after last week's statements from Washington, Europeans must be able to act very quickly." He emphasized that "this issue will have absolute priority in the coming weeks."
Regarding the success of the far-right AfD in the elections, he described it as "a final warning signal for the democratic center parties in Germany to find common ground." He expressed hope for "constructive, good, and swift" negotiations with the SPD to form a new government by Easter.
On NATO, Merz said the alliance "continues to function well" and praised NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s direct relationship with Donald Trump. He also commended the UK for "re-engaging with the European continent in a sense" by taking an active role in the alliance.
In his message to Trump, Merz diplomatically stated that Europeans "have a great interest in maintaining a good relationship with America" and "still see themselves as partners."
He emphasized that both sides share "a common understanding of open society, freedom, democracy, and a market economy," and he hopes this will continue.
When asked about US-Russia negotiations, he stated that any agreement reached without Ukraine would be "unacceptable" for both Ukraine and Europe.
Albania News Agency
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