Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU has expressed surprise at criticisms regarding his focus on foreign policy in the initial weeks of his tenure. Addressing the Ambassadors’ Conference at the Federal Foreign Office on Monday, he stated, “In these times, we cannot consider domestic policy, economic policy, trade policy, or migration policy without their foreign policy and security policy dimension. We can no longer speak of ‘domestic policy’ and ‘foreign policy’ as if they were two neatly separate spheres.
Merz pointed out that the engagement of the German government abroad is intended to preserve peace, freedom and prosperity within the country, emphasizing this should be the guiding principle for ambassadors in their work at diplomatic missions. “We work for Germany, every day, tirelessly, with our allies and partners around the world.
The Chancellor cautioned against the illusion of safety afforded by separating domestic and foreign policy, warning that it suggests a disregard for conflicts abroad, aggressors and rule-breakers and caters to isolationist tendencies. He emphasized that Germany is not an island, regardless of the strong relationships the country maintains. “On the contrary, our close ties with European friends and neighbors demonstrate how closely intertwined domestic and foreign policy decisions are”.
