These Are Not The Conservatives You Are Looking For

 Can somebody tell him to just sit down?

The conservative alliance of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) under chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz has won the German snap elections and will become the largest party in parliament by a wide margin. However, with first projections by public broadcaster ARD putting the alliance at 28.5 percent, the result remained below average polling figures for the party in recent months, and means Merz will need to form a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD), and possibly also with the Greens.

I don’t mean they’re actually the socialists MTG fears, but “conservative” means very different things in different countries:

Climate and energy policies in Germany are unlikely to see a substantial shift in key areas under the most likely coalition scenarios. The parties set to form a new government stand by the country’s 2045 climate neutrality target and want to continue the fast expansion of renewable energy sources, as well as decarbonisation in heating, transport and industry. However, the next coalition government’s composition still could have a palpable effect on the speed and ambition with which further energy transition and decarbonisation measures are implemented, and how Germany positions itself in EU climate policy.

Regarding energy and climate policy, conservative chancellor candidate Merz will have to walk a fine line between restart and continuity if he leads the next coalition. The incoming government faces a wide range of urgent challenges in many sectors and reconciling effective climate action with economic stability and affordability for citizens will play an even greater role than it used to.

Sadly, the POTUS doesn’t have a clue.

"I have absolutely no illusions about what is happening from America," Merz said during a televised debate on Sunday night. "Just look at the recent interventions in the German election campaign by Mr Elon Musk — that is a unique event. The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we have seen from Moscow. We are under such massive pressure from two sides that my absolute priority now really is to create unity in Europe."

Merz said he had some "residual" hope that the U.S. Congress and the White House would not completely cut Ukraine out of any peace negotiations, though he did not sound optimistic. "I am not sure what the American government's position on this war will be in the coming weeks and months. My impression over the last few days is that Russia and America are coming together here, over the heads of Ukraine and therefore also over the heads of Europe," he said.

His first task would be to put together a stable governing coalition, fast. "Everyone is now looking at Germany. How quickly will the Germans be able to form a government after this complicated election result? And that really is my first priority here."

Earlier, Trump appeared to offer something of an opening to Merz, in a characteristically bizarre manner. The president congratulated the election winners, without naming Merz, and also claimed the conservative victory was part of his own success, somehow.

But it seems that Germany's next leader has made up his own mind about the new American president, regardless.

Trump is as useless as a broken doorstop.