„The era of ideology“ is over and Germany needs deep modernization, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Munich at the congress of the Christian Social Union (CSU).
He admitted that society will be able to fully understand what is happening in the world only after many years.
„This is not an ebb and flow of good relations. This is almost a tectonic shift“, he said, quoted by Bild.
The country, according to the Chancellor, is more than a decade behind.
„The decades of Pax Americana are over for us. Nostalgia will not help. This is a fact! Americans are now very stubbornly defending their interests. And that is why we must now defend ours as well,” he urged.
Pax Americana (Latin for “American Peace”) is a term used to describe the period of relative peace, economic stability, and political dominance of the United States in the world after World War II (since 1945), replacing Pax Britannica (British domination). This order is based on American economic power, cultural influence and military might.
During the Cold War, there was also the term Pax Sovietica, meaning “Soviet Peace“, which contrasted with “American Peace“.
The Chancellor expressed the opinion that Europe must prepare for fundamental changes in relations with the United States, as well as for increased threats from Russia.
According to Merz, Germany must be “renewed from scratch“.
“The era of ideology is over. We are showing what we are capable of. We are opening windows: we are ensuring that those who invent things will not have to go to America, but will be able to achieve something for themselves here. People of my generation have solid ground under their feet: the legacy of an open, free society. "I am very convinced that we can pass this legacy on to the next generation," Merz concluded.
The German chancellor made the statement amid disagreements between the EU and the US over a plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Germany has been actively involved in developing the European proposal, together with Kiev and other partners.
However, disagreements between Brussels and Washington arose even before the talks intensified, shortly after US President Donald Trump returned to power. At the start of his second term, Trump threatened the EU with significant tariffs; the parties eventually reached an agreement. Trump forced the EU to take on some of its own defense obligations.