Merz tells Germans ‘we will remain dependent on US, whether we like it or not’

GERMANY will remain dependent on the United States "for some time to come," Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday (June 6), just hours after returning from his inaugural visit to Washington, where he held talks with President Donald Trump.

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Merz says Germany will remain reliant on the US for the foreseeable future.
He notes US scientists are eyeing Europe as a research hub amid US campus tensions.
Merz told Trump that US tariffs hurt both sides, citing his US-made BMW as an example.

"Whether we like it or not, we will remain dependent on the United States, on America, for some time to come," Merz said in a speech during a family entrepreneurs' event.

Merz also said that U.S. scientists were asking themselves whether “Europe, Germany might not be an interesting location for science and research in view of the mood at universities.”

According to Merz, he also discussed U.S. tariffs with the American president, telling him that his private car was in fact made in the United States and that import duties hurt both countries’ economies.

“I said that I drive a small X3 privately, which was produced in South Carolina by BMW and I drive it in Germany. American families have had their salaries paid out of it. I said that I basically drive an American car with a German brand.”

“These are examples that you simply have to tell him in order to make it clear that this tariff policy not only affects us, but also you,” said Merz