Donald Trump turned diplomacy and abroad policy into something new: soap opera. The American President, who, contrary to claims, succeeded not so much as an entrepreneur, but primarily as Reality show character, remains faithful to this logic besides on The World’s Most crucial Position.
After visits by state leaders and Heads of Government, he does not hold press conferences, but forces them to talk in front of live cameras. The course of these tv events is, like the reality show, about planned, so preset. The climax was The humiliation of Volodymyr Zelenski in the White home in February. "It was good television," Trump commented.
No German Chancellor — but possibly Konrad Adenauer and Willy Brandt — focused on the beginning of his word of office foreign policy As much as Friedrich Merz. Already as opposition leader, the head of the CDU flew Bundeswehr aircraft across Europe and beyond. Merz made contacts that he immediately utilized after taking office. Its precedence is not interior or economical policy, but clearly Europe and the world. His calendar has so far been filled with war in Ukraine, confusion in the mediate East, transatlantic customs dispute.
This is peculiarly noticeable as the direct predecessor Merza was different. Olaf Scholz As early as February 2022, he left a joint photograph at the beginning of the NATO peculiar summit after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, as the situation with the government got out of control in Berlin at night. The coalition has utilized so much energy to fight each another that it no longer has the strength for Europe.
Even France has not previously been informed of a giant package of EUR 200 billion (PLN 853 billion) for support German economy during the gas crisis. Scholz had to bear the consequences of Germany being in a compromising situation after Russian aggression due to the fact that they ignored warnings for a long time.
Merz wanted to fill this gap, and he succeeded.. His approach of organising a European post and handing it over to Washington is right: erstwhile the Chancellor went with his allies to Kiev, they called Emmanuel Macron's cell telephone to connect with Trump. Now Merz invited Zelenski and Europeans to Berlin to connect with Trump from there. Together with the Ukrainian, Europeans even went to Washington to represent their interests.
Further string of article under video material
International performance
Trump's show has now reached the reconstruction of historical negotiations between US Presidents and russian Union leaders, which is to mention to earlier tv experiences of American audiences. It is no accident that Trump himself has published 2 photographs that are amazingly similar, even in gestures: 1 depicts Trump with Putin and the another Nixon with Crunch.
Russian abroad Minister Sergei Lawrow showed that he understood it, already by choosing the outfit: came to Alaska in a sweater with the inscription "CCCP" (Russian short for USSR). Indeed, there was no gathering of superpowers. If there is simply a U.S. antagonist today, they are. China.
Putin focused on the stabilisation of the robber states and himself is not successful: he late collapsed the dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Iran's anti-aircraft weapons were exposed by Israeli aircraft.
Merz had to effort not only find a function internationally, but besides in Trump's show. In this regard, the Chancellor lost his function model: Angela Merkel during Trump's first term, she was introduced as his opponent, and at the end of her word she introduced herself.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US president Donald Trump, Hague, June 25, 2025.LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
The minute of Merza's fame
As the expected “leader of the free west” (because Trump did not fulfil this function) Merkel gained designation and even fame. It was no accident that the most crucial speech of her last word was delivered at the university on the east coast of the United States: liberal America moved its discontent with Trump to a distant German.
Merkel inactive successfully uses this heritage, including in his memories. But she besides paid the price: by the end of her term, the Chancellor had almost no relation with Trump.
Germany — as well as Europe and Ukraine — cannot afford this today. Merz couldn't play the enemy function in Trump's telenovela. On his first visit to D.C., he seemed to be falling. in the function of statistics. Trump spent a fewer minutes tyrading about his erstwhile supporter and sponsor Elona Muska, almost forgetting the German sitting next to him.
Merz, however, was not satisfied with the function of statistics, but stressed his position respective times. Already at the G-7 summit in Canada in June He opposed the PresidentWho regretted that Putin was not invited. Instead, the Chancellor recalled his “war crimes”. besides last week, erstwhile Trump in the White home convened Europeans like students, Merz, in consultation with the British and French, stressed the decisive issue: A ceasefire must happen in Ukraine before negotiations with Russia.
