The National Interest - Why America Needs Friedrich Merz - July 21, 2025 By: Jett James Pruitt

 The National Interest 

Why America Needs Friedrich Merz

July 21, 2025

By: Jett James Pruitt

Germany’s new chancellor is reshaping Europe’s geopolitical landscape, pushing China away, boosting NATO, and strengthening the US alliance.

Despite serving as Germany’s head of government for only a few months, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has quickly emerged as one of America’s most reliable allies in Europe, at least for the time being. 

While Merz somewhat oscillated between expressing the need for Europe to “really achieve independence,” from the United States in February and calling America “an indispensable friend and partner of Germany,” in June, his government’s strategy of resetting relations with Europe and revitalizing the Transatlantic Alliance will simultaneously strengthen America’s strategic leverage throughout the continent. 

What Is Chancellor Merz’s Plan for Germany?

Merz’s relative popularity with other European leaders, coupled with his desire to revamp Germany’s economic competitiveness and military prowess, will effectively counterweigh deepening relations between the West and China. In effect, Merz’s chancellorship may help preserve US financial and military primacy in Europe against its most prominent strategic rival for the foreseeable future. 

As the most populous country and largest exporting economy in the EU, Germany is a quiet yet crucial player in the hegemonic rivalry between the United States and China. On one hand, Germany is politically aligned with the United States, stationing over 34,000 US troops and serving as a key security partner within NATO. Last year, the United States also replaced China as Germany’s largest trading partner in combined exports and imports. 

At the same time, China wields disproportionate economic weight over Germany, which undercuts America’s partnership in the region. In 2024, total bilateral trade between the two countries reached approximately $279 billion, with more than 5,000 German companies investing and operating in China. Prominent car manufacturers, including Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, have announced plans to increase investment in their automaking plants throughout China’s provinces. 

To date, Germany remains heavily dependant on China for renewable energy components, such as solar panels and electric vehicle (EV) batteries, thereby raising concerns among members of the center-right CDU about the implications of this trade relationship for Germany’s national security interests.

In contrast to his predecessor Olaf Scholz, who publicly opposed EU duties on Chinese EVs in 2023, Merz has adopted an assertive approach to China, commenting in January 2025, “I have become more convinced in recent weeks and months that the American market, including the South American market, is a more secure basis for us than China alone.” 

After forming a coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) in April, the CDU issued an outline of Germany’s future security policy, declaring China a “systemic rival” and committing to a strategy of “de-risking” from critical dependencies. In other words, Merz’s government is determined to reclaim strategic autonomy and only cooperate with China when it is in Germany’s best interests. 

While it is by no means advocating for complete decoupling from China, Merz’s government is at least tempering further Chinese encroachment into the German and European economies.

Europe Will Likely Choose an American Alliance over China

Within this context, Germany’s shift away from China will inevitably bring Europe even closer to the US, especially in light of Merz’s international appeal. Notably, he has drawn attention from political journalists for his efforts to repair Franco-German relations, which had reached a low point under Scholz’s leadership. 

Merz has also worked assiduously to reintegrate the United Kingdom into the EU’s geopolitical orbit, personally traveling to London on July 17th to sign a defense cooperation pact between the two nations. 

Outside of Europe, Merz has reportedly established a working basis with President Donald Trump, who called him “a firm representative for Germany,” following their June 5 meeting at the White House. Overall, this synergy is arguably bringing the United States and Europe closer together in cooperation, as exemplified by almost every NATO member (except Spain) recently agreeing to dedicate at least 5 percent of their GDP to defense spending by 2035.

Of course, not everything is perfect for Merz and the CDU. 

Who Are Chancellor Merz’s Detractors?

Despite possessing a majority in the Bundestag, the CDU is barely maintaining an edge over the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AFD) party. As of late June 2025, the CDU is polling at 29 percent support among the German electorate, whereas the AFD and the SPD enjoy 22 percent and 15 percent support, respectively. This places Merz in a delicate position, especially considering he failed to win the chancellorship by six votes on the first round of voting on May 6th. While he went on to win the second ballot, Merz’s support within the German parliament remains precarious. 

Concerning America’s current foreign policy interests, the CDU is arguably the most pro-American party within German politics. The AFD is ardently nationalist and favors closer relations with Russia, rather than the EU or the United States. 

Meanwhile, the SPD embraces a moderate approach, considering China a necessary partner in addressing global challenges such as nuclear proliferation, climate change, and the Russo-Ukrainian War. In contrast, Die Linke and BSW are more conciliatory in their support for closer relations with China, underscoring the country’s leadership in the BRICS. 

Only time will tell how long Merz can hold onto power in Berlin. However, it is clear from his first few months in office that he is doing his part to stop Germany from being completely engulfed in China’s orbit. Either way, America should have his back every step of the way.

About the Author: Jett James Pruitt

Jett James Pruitt is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated political journalist and the bestselling author of two books. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of the international political news website, TheGenZPost.com, and a consultant specializing in European Politics and Generation Z voter trends. He is currently a B.A. International Politics student at the prestigious University of London Institute in Paris and lives in Palm Beach, Florida, during the holidays.

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Joey Sussman.