Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the party headquarters, after the exit poll results are announced for the 2025 general election, in Berlin, Germany, February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union in Germany, wasted no time after his party’s victory in national elections warning about the dangers posed by President Donald Trump and X owner Elon Musk.
Politico reports that Merz on Sunday argued that Europeans needed to make a break from the United States, which he said could no longer guarantee their continent’s security as it had done for the last 80 years.
“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” Merz said. “I never thought I would have to say something like this on a television program. But after Donald Trump’s statements last week at the latest, it is clear that the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe."
This could mean coordinating nuclear weapons programs with the United Kingdom and France, he said, and potentially even the disbanding of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO).
Merz even went so far as to imply that the United States under Trump was essentially on the same side as Russia when it comes to geopolitical affairs.
That is necessary but it will be expensive. What is to be seen is how that jives with the wholesale tax cuts he promised to everyone, with a skew towards the rich, the need to repair decaying infrastructure, and the German debt brake enshrined in the constitution after the financial crisis. He needs to form a coalition with the social democrats which will not be without compromise.
At least, all parties paid lip service on TV last night that Germany needs major changes - and that Europe needs to collaborate.
That’s the fear they can publicly acknowledge and prefer that the USA fund the bill.
“After the speech of Vice-President Vance on Friday, we have to fear that our common value base is not that common any more,” Heusgen said near the beginning of [his speech]
The constitution and law provide for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right. An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for members of the media.
Freedom of Expression: The law criminalizes the denigration of ethnic or religious minorities, as well as Holocaust denial. Prison sentences for conviction of these crimes are between six months and eight years.
Libel/Slander Laws: By law defamation, including libel and slander, constitutes a criminal offense. Conviction of defamation, defined as alleging a fact or formulating a judgment (or reproducing such) regarding a third person that is offensive to that person’s honor or reputation, is punishable by up to six months in prison or a fine.
That’s interesting. I didn’t know that such divergent numbers were out there.
Looking at Table 1 of this report by the BEA (part of the Department of Commerce) they report that the current dollar GDP of Mississippi in Q32024 was $158.4 billion. With a population of 2.9 million that yields
