Friedrich Merz

For at least a decade, possibly much longer, our society had a false sense of security. We now need to rebuild our defence capability from scratch, with automated systems, with independent European satellite surveillance, with armed drones and with many modern defence systems, and most importantly, with reliable and predictable orders that should go to European manufacturers where possible.

Germany is back on track. Germany will fulfill the obligations in terms of defense. And Germany is willing to strengthen their own competitiveness.

The fact the AfD has doubled their vote share, this is now the last warning sign for Germany's political parties of the democratic middle to find common solutions.

Now we will talk to each other and the main thing is to re-establish a government in Germany that is capable of acting as quickly as possible with a good parliamentary majority. Because, dear friends, the world out there is not waiting for us and it is not waiting for lengthy coalition talks and negotiations.

We need to be able to act quickly again so that we can do the right thing at home, so that we are present in Europe again and so that the world realises that Germany is once more reliably governed.

Peace.

For me, the absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we step by step also truly achieve independence from the USA. I would not have believed that I would have to say something like this on a TV program.

But at the latest, after last week's statements by Donald Trump, it's clear that the Americans, at least this part of the American government, are largely indifferent to Europe's fate. I have absolutely no illusions about what is happening from America.

look at what mr elon musk has done recently in terms of interventions in the german elections that is an unprecedented event so the interventions from washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately brazen than the interventions we had from moscow still seen so we are under such massive pressure from two sides that my absolute priority now truly is to establish unity in europe

The world won't wait for us. It won't wait for long drawn out coalition negotiations. We must be capable of acting again quickly so that we can do the right thing in Germany.