this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2025
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Europe

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  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been growing increasingly critical of the European Union.

  • His tone marks a notable shift compared to his more EU-friendly predecessor.

  • Meanwhile, Merz has been building a relationship with EU-critical U.S. President Donald Trump.

The historically EU-friendly Merz, a former member of the European Parliament, now has a long list of complaints about the bloc. This has included objections to an increase in the EU’s new long-term budget that was proposed last month, as well as calling the bloc out for sluggishness and complex bureaucracy. Germany was also among the louder critics of the EU-U.S. trade agreement.

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[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 70 points 6 days ago (2 children)

For fuck's sake, what fucking happened to "let's be more independent of the US", you 1 fucking Pimmel?

[–] b_tr3e@feddit.org 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

You did not really believe a single word that Merz said? I'd not even ask him for the time.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] Tryenjer@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

First, European countries are vassal states, and second, our politicians probably want the same thing Trump has now: absolute power unfettered by other branches of the state power.

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 13 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Oh boy oh boy I get to ride the green-white partybus!

[–] Localhorst86@feddit.org 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Are they still green/white where you live? Ours have been blue/silver for quite some time now.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Idk, I'm a law-abiding citizen, my references are just at least 100 years old and from my Sturm und Drang time.

[–] b_tr3e@feddit.org -1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The "GrΓΌne Minna" might indeed be a hundred years by now, but for Hauptmann's (and the better parts of German literature's) sake get an idea about Sturm&Drang. You'd really miss something you'd prefer to know. Or maybe it's just me refusing to let my belief in culture and humanity go...

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I ... don't follow...? What did I say?

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 53 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Well, as a former(?) BlackRock lobbyist, you have to keep the transatlantic channel open. πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ

Its so damn transparent too. Everything he does is just corrupt to the core. Exactly the kind of politician fascists love to use, because nothing helps them more than a leader with no spine.

[–] gusgalarnyk@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago

Merz sucks, the conservatives suck, and I hope Germany can survive this corporate illness long enough to vote in people who care about improving Germany and the world. The CDU will worsen this country until the AFD win unless the people push back at every level.

We can have a better life in Germany, if we don't vote for the defenders of the rich and wealthy.

[–] Unpigged@lemmy.dbzer0.com 41 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Merz personally was the reason I voted Greens. Cunt.

[–] Muscle_Meteor@discuss.tchncs.de 46 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Wow.. Imagine a German Chancellor complaining about buraucracy in the EU...

That reminds me i need to make an appointment to go into to an office to file paperwork to change my address instead of just updating it online like a normal fucking country...

Yeah, the irony is palpable.

I myself need to make an appointment to see if they will let me sign up for an unrelated appointment…

[–] Mim@lemmy.zip 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

You actually can do that online. Did so myself some month ago.

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

As registration is managed on a local level, this entirely depends on where you (are going to) live.

[–] Mim@lemmy.zip 3 points 6 days ago

True. But it is available in quite a lot of places. In some states even all local agencies managed to switch to the federal service.

If you are living in eastern Germany though, you are most likely out of luck. It's… quite barren over there in that regard.

Aparrently its only available for German citizens, or maybe EU citizens depending on the region.. So not helpful for me

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 37 points 6 days ago (9 children)

Remember when people thought Merz was to stand in for Ukraine, because he had made many claims towards that during his campaign?

Yeah...

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[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 6 days ago

I hope somebody is making Hindenburg comparisons.

as well as calling the bloc out for sluggishness and complex bureaucracy.

Uhh, the German is saying this?

[–] xiwi@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Germany? Cozying up to genocidal fascist freaks? Shocked!

Anyway, there is no saving that wretched place, death and misery are the only thing they are able to envision it seems.

[–] Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Can't read this without registering, but there is no such thing as an EU-US trade agreement.

This appears to be more CNBC trying to appease Trump than news.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 1 points 6 days ago

Thank you.

Is it formatted like that in the original, with no paragraphs? Because my brain refuses to read that wall of text.

[–] simon574@feddit.org 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)
[–] Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Read the text to the end.

The political agreement of 27 July 2025 is not legally binding. Beyond taking the immediate actions committed, the EU and the US will further negotiate, in line with their relevant internal procedures, to fully implement the political agreement.

Emphasis mine.

There is no agreement yet (other than an agreement to negotiate).