Germany's prospective chancellor, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz, said on Wednesday that his "key message" to United States President Donald Trump is that "Germany is back on track." He said his government will fulfill its defense obligations and boost competitiveness in the international markets. Last month, he pushed through a massive spending package to boost the defense industry, and infrastructure and fulfill climate commitments, among other goals.
"And that is not just Germany; that is Europe, the European Union, and Germany will be again a very strong partner within the European Union, and we will bring the European Union forward," Merz added.