Friedrich Merz of Germany points out the seismic change in relations between Europe-EE. UU.

Germany’s chancellor waiting, no Wait for the final results of your country’s elections on Sunday to announce a new era in Europe.

Declaring that the United States is indifferent to the fate of this continent, Friedrich Merz questioned the future of NATO and demanded that Europe drive its own defenses. Quickly.

This tone of the close ally of the United States, and Friedrich Merz, who is known to be a passionate Atlantic, would have been unimaginable even a couple of months ago.

It is a seismic change. That can read as hyperbole, but what we are now experiencing in terms of transatlantic relationships is not precedents in the 80 years since the end of World War II.

The great European powers have been surprised to the center of the Trump administration, which suggests that it could revoke Europe security guarantees since 1945.

On Sunday night, Friedrich Merz put Donald Trump’s America at the pair of Russia, widely seen here as a threat of security for Europe more widely. He said that Europe was now being squeezed by the two nations, so he had to take urgent measures.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom addresses Washington on Thursday, after the visit there by French president Emmanuel Macron.

Friedrich Merz admits, indirectly, a sense of fear of getting lost. For rights, Germany should also be there, this week, he says. Berlin, is one of the three great powers in Europe, along with France and the United Kingdom.

And with the United States and Russia that now ignite bilaterally, on, but not with, Ukraine, feels like a global return to the policy of great powers.

But Germany has been mine (missing in action) for a good time on the European and world stage. The outgoing government here was weakened and distracted by the vicious internal disputes. This enraged German voters, who wanted an urgent approach to economy and migration, and European allies, demanding actions on Russia, security and defense.

Merz says that a priority for Germany is to participate internationally.

The country is already the second largest donor of military aid to Ukraine, after the United States.

Merz wants to continue that support, but, unlike France and the United Kingdom, he has been reluctant about the idea of ​​sending soldiers to Ukraine, to support an eventual high fire there.

However, based on Germany’s history, he dragged his heels at each stage of Ukraine’s support, and despite that, he ended up providing more help than any of his European neighbors, a ‘no’ now, does not mean ‘no’ forever Forever compromise troops or participate in any way can take a European “tranquility force” in Ukraine.

For now, the soldiers for which the most worrying Germans are the 35,000 Americans, parked in their country, which make them feel safe.

It is very unusual for foreign policy to be a main concern of voters at the time of elections. But in Germany this weekend, along with the economy and migration, the voter after the voter said he cared about peace in Europe and felt very insecure.

In November, the German Interior Ministry said it was preparing a list of bunkers that could provide emergency refuge for civilians.

Ukraine may be far, but the Germans feel a great risk of Russia for two reasons.

First, the amount of military teams that their country has sent Ukraine. The extreme right, an alternative for Germany (AFD), with its slogan “First Germany”, campaigned for Berlin to deactivate kyiv and restore relations with Russia. A strategy not different from that of Donald Trump, as he likes to point out.

Secondly, many in Germany think that if Russia would really destabilize Europe, you could be tempted to hit one of the three greats with a long -range missile.

France and the United Kingdom are nuclear powers. Germany is not. Even its conventional army is unfortunately not very insufficient (for the immense irritation of European couples), so Germany fears that it will be a soft objective.

Even more if President Trump retires his active military and women from Germany.

The presence of American troops in Europe has been significantly reduced.

The German sense of a deep domestic insecurity led Friedrich Merz to suggest last week that would look for France and Great Britain to form a European nuclear umbrella, to replace the nuclear guarantees of the United States.

It is an idea that is easy to mention the path of the campaign, but that is actually very complex, which implies issues of capabilities, commitment and control.

The control of reality: Friedrich Merz will need a lot of money for his plans to ensure Germany and Europe, and Germany’s economy is depressed.

It also has to reach an agreement with the coalition partner or the partners, with whom the next German government will form, as well as with other European countries, such as the United Kingdom.

And they may not want to reach such a strident tone against the United States.

This choice can announce a stronger leadership in Germany. But is the rest of Europe ready?