Germany’s Merz Postpones Trump Call Amid AfD Controversy

BERLIN, Germany — Tensions between Germany and the United States have intensified after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz postponed a planned telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, shortly after Trump publicly praised the electoral success of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The planned call, scheduled for Wednesday, was expected to focus partly on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius confirmed that Berlin had postponed the conversation but did not provide a reason. He indicated, however, that the decision was not the result of a scheduling conflict. The postponement came after Trump celebrated the AfD’s strong performance in Sunday’s regional election in Saxony-Anhalt. The party won about 44% of the vote, emerging as the strongest political force in the state and delivering a major setback to Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Trump attributed the AfD’s success to dissatisfaction with Germany’s immigration policies, describing the party as being “on the rise” in a post on his Truth Social platform. The comments have sparked criticism in Berlin, where government officials have warned against foreign interference in Germany’s domestic political affairs. German officials have stressed that Germans should determine their own political choices and policies without intervention from foreign leaders. Merz Escalates Criticism of AfD The controversy intensified on Wednesday when Merz sharply criticised the AfD during a heated parliamentary debate. The German chancellor accused the party of promoting policies that he said could amount to “ethnic cleansing” through its advocacy of “remigration,” a term used by the AfD in its immigration debate. The party rejected Merz’s characterisation, arguing that its policies concern immigration enforcement and are within German law. Merz has also rejected cooperation with the AfD, despite the party’s historic electoral breakthrough in Saxony-Anhalt. The result has renewed debate over Germany’s long-standing political “firewall” against cooperation with the far right. Strain in Berlin-Washington Relations The latest dispute adds to existing tensions between Berlin and Washington over immigration, Russia, Ukraine, trade and European security. While German officials have not officially linked the postponed phone call to Trump’s remarks about the AfD, the timing has raised questions about the state of relations between the two governments. For now, both sides have avoided confirming that the AfD controversy directly caused the postponement. Source: Reuters, Associated Press, German government statements and Tagesschau — September 9, 2026. Editorial Note: German authorities have confirmed the postponement of the Merz-Trump call but have not officially stated that Trump’s comments about the AfD were the reason. Any direct causal link remains unconfirmed.