OddsFrontMerz cancels planned Trump call after US president celebrates AfD victory
The cancelled conversation turns Germany's far-right breakthrough into a direct transatlantic dispute as Berlin and Brussels prepare major security and budget decisions.
A cancelled conversation becomes the news
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled a planned telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on September 9, hours after Trump publicly celebrated the far-right Alternative for Germany's election victory in Saxony-Anhalt. Merz's spokesperson did not give a substantive reason for the cancellation but said it was not caused by scheduling, leaving the political context difficult to ignore.
Trump had praised the AfD's result and revived a slogan about making Germany great again. The intervention came after the party won nearly 44 percent of the state vote, a breakthrough that intensified pressure on Merz's governing conservatives and challenged the established policy of keeping the AfD outside governing coalitions. Axios reported that the slogan also carried unusually charged historical associations in Germany.
A sharper transatlantic fault line
The episode moves the dispute beyond commentary about another country's election. Cancelling a leader-level call is a concrete diplomatic signal, particularly between Washington and Berlin, whose cooperation underpins NATO planning, support for Ukraine and European economic policy. It also followed Merz's forceful parliamentary attack on the AfD's migration platform, which he characterised as incompatible with Germany's democratic order.
The cancellation occurred on a day when Merz met European Council President António Costa in Berlin. The official European Council account says their discussion covered Europe's security, competitiveness and preparations for future EU decisions. That parallel engagement underscored the contrast between Merz's active coordination with Brussels and the abruptly deferred conversation with Trump.
Why it matters
US officials and political allies have repeatedly criticised Germany's isolation of the AfD, while Germany's mainstream parties regard that barrier as a safeguard against extremist influence. Trump's praise therefore lands inside an unresolved debate about whether outside support normalises the party or merely amplifies voters who already reject the political establishment.
The practical question is whether the leaders quickly reschedule. A short delay would contain the damage; a prolonged freeze could complicate coordination on Ukraine, NATO capabilities, trade and sanctions. Berlin must also decide how to answer Washington without allowing the dispute to strengthen the AfD's claim that established parties disregard its voters.
The next indicators will be any new date for a Trump-Merz call, public explanations from the chancellery and whether US officials continue openly backing the AfD. Germany's coming regional contests will show whether the Saxony-Anhalt result was an isolated surge or the start of a broader realignment with consequences well beyond German domestic politics.