Germany Merz: Europe must learn the "language of power politics"
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on the European allies to become an independent power in a new world order with unity and self-confidence.
29.01.2026, 10:17
29.01.2026, 10:53
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Europe will only be able to assert its ideas "if we ourselves learn to speak the language of power politics, if we ourselves become a European power", he said in his government statement in the Bundestag in Berlin.
Merz emphasized that a new world order of great powers was taking shape at a rapid pace. "A rough wind is blowing in this world, and we will feel it for the foreseeable future," he said. However, the changes could also create opportunities for a Europe that acts on the basis of the law and is committed to international cooperation.
Europe as an alternative to imperialism and autocracy
"We are also a normative alternative to imperialism and autocracy in the world," said Merz. "We have something to offer our partners around the world economically and, above all, in terms of ideas." Europe could be a power, "especially on the basis of the values that we do not want to give up".
For the German head of government, there are three areas in which Europe must prove itself.
* Europe must take its security into its own hands. To this end, dependencies in the technological field and in defense capabilities must be reduced. This refers to dependencies on the USA, on whose nuclear umbrella, for example, Europe will be dependent for the foreseeable future.
* The European economy must be made competitive. The growth gap with China and the USA is widening. This dynamic must now be reversed.
* Europe must present a united front. In recent weeks, Europe has shown what can be achieved through unity, said Merz, referring to the conflict over the island of Greenland, which belongs to Denmark. US President Donald Trump had finally relented and dropped his tariff threats against Germany and other European countries. "Unity is a power factor in the world," said the Christian Democrat.
Making something of Europe's new self-confidence
"Let's make something of this self-confidence that is now emerging among Europeans," Merz demanded. However, he did not propose any concrete measures in his speech - such as what reforms the European Union needed to make it more capable of acting. He also did not address the debate on a European nuclear deterrent. French President Emmanuel Macron had already initiated this debate years ago.
In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Merz had already urged his European allies to prepare for a new era of great power politics. "A new era has already begun," he said last week. "The new world of great powers is based on power, strength and - if necessary - violence. It is not a cozy place."
The speech was reminiscent of the speech in the Bundestag in 2022 in which the then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the epochal upheaval following the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Tougher tone towards Trump
Merz is now adopting a much tougher tone towards the USA than before. He sharply criticized US President Donald Trump's statements that the US never needed NATO troops in Afghanistan. "We will not allow this mission, which we have also carried out in the interests of our alliance partner the United States of America, to be disparaged and belittled today," he said.
The Conservative Chancellor referred to the 59 Bundeswehr soldiers who lost their lives during the mission in Afghanistan, as well as well over 100 who were injured, some of them seriously. "I would rather say to our soldiers on deployment and in the bases: your service was and is valuable," he said. "It stands for our freedom and for peace in the world. The Federal Government always stands behind you."
Merz made it clear that Germany does not want to be politically subordinate to the USA. "As democracies, we are partners and allies, not subordinates," he said. The hand of cooperation with the United States will always remain outstretched, but this must be the guiding principle.
Part of a network of sovereign states
At the same time, this means being open to new partnerships. "We want to be part of a dynamic, agile network of sovereign states that want to continue to adhere to a rules-based order." There must be free trade and no or at best only low tariffs, "because we know from experience that only open markets and free trade are the right path for the prosperity and security of the nation".
This is why it is so important to bring the Mercosur agreement with the South American states of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay into force and to conclude a trade agreement with India.
Merz once again sharply criticized the voting behaviour of German Green MEPs in the European Parliament, who, together with the Left and the right-wing populist AfD, had tried to prevent the Mercosur agreement until the very end. This was "more than irritating".
