Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a planned phone call with President Donald Trump on Wednesday after Trump publicly praised the AfD party's recent regional election victory.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a scheduled phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The decision followed a social media post by Trump celebrating a regional election win by Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt. While a spokesperson for the chancellor declined to provide a specific reason for the cancellation, they confirmed it was not due to a scheduling conflict.

Trump’s Comments on AfD

In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump praised the AfD’s performance, describing it as a “really big night” for the party. Trump attributed the party's success to voter frustration with Germany’s immigration rules, which he claimed have harmed the country. He concluded his post with the abbreviation “MGGA,” appearing to reference his own “Make America Great Again” slogan adapted for Germany.

Merz’s Stance on Foreign Interference

A spokesperson for Chancellor Merz noted that the chancellor has historically objected to foreign leaders commenting on or interfering in Germany’s domestic political affairs, particularly regarding elections. Although the spokesperson did not explicitly confirm a link between the cancellation and Trump’s post, the move follows a period of heightened tension between the German government and the AfD.

Parliamentary Confrontation Over Remigration

On the same day as the cancellation, Chancellor Merz engaged in a heated debate in the Bundestag with the AfD parliamentary group. Merz criticized the party’s “remigration” policy, which advocates for the mass deportation of migrants, labeling the term a synonym for “ethnic cleansing.” He argued that such policies would devastate the German economy, specifically noting that the skilled trades, hospitals, care homes, and restaurants rely heavily on immigrant labor.