German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will not attend the launch ceremony of President Donald Trump’s proposed “Peace Council” at the World Economic Forum in Davos. A government spokesperson said Merz will leave Davos immediately after his speech on Thursday morning to travel to Brussels, where preparatory talks are scheduled.
Whether Germany will accept Trump’s invitation to become a member state of the new institution remains uncertain. The German government said it is working on a unified European position before making a decision.
France has already declined the invitation. President Emmanuel Macron said the council’s charter extends beyond the United Nations‑backed peace plan for Gaza and requires respect for UN principles and structure. Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot reinforced this reasoning. In response, Trump threatened a 200 % customs duty on French wine and champagne, a move that has drawn criticism.
The council was initially conceived to address the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, but the current charter no longer mentions Gaza. Instead, it stresses that lasting peace must break away from approaches and institutions that have repeatedly failed. According to the “Times of Israel”, the council intends to have Donald Trump serve as first chair, independent of his presidential office, with no term limit. Trump is expected to hold veto power and oversee the agenda and composition of the executive council.
The executive council, at its inception, is to consist of Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair, World Bank president Ajay Banga, CEO of Apollo Global Management Marc Rowan, and deputy U.S. national‑security adviser Robert Gabriel. To become a member state of the “Peace Council” countries must be invited and pay a fee of one billion U.S. dollars.
