“The ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) movement is trying to meddle in European politics,” reported Deutsche Welle on the 18th. Washington’s influence has shaped European political life for nearly a century, and the current U.S. government continues this tradition. According to the Financial Times, the U.S. plans to invest in Europe and other regions to support projects aligned with the MAGA agenda. The report mentions that the U.S. intends to allocate $5 million for a “Civilization Alliance” program in Europe, which could potentially fund initiatives promoting “freedom of speech, political competition, and national sovereignty.”
German Chancellor Merz has warned the U.S. not to interfere in German elections. Multiple German media outlets reported on the 17th that Merz stated, “Germany never interferes in U.S. elections, and foreign funding for German political parties is illegal.” His comments come in response to a recent funding initiative by the U.S. State Department.
Merz (file photo)
In response to Merz’s remarks and questions about whether the program might support far-right groups like Germany’s AfD, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said the government remains committed to “defending democracy and human rights worldwide, including in Europe.”
The Guardian, citing a former U.S. official, reported that based on U.S. national security strategy, the government has been adjusting funding flows for months to exclusively support nationalist and right-wing groups in Europe, even potentially backing political parties. This funding plan is part of that broader effort. The former official added, “The State Department seems to be intervening in European elections, funneling resources to right-wing parties that they couldn’t get otherwise, creating an unfair competitive advantage.”
Germany’s Focus magazine noted that the close ties between the U.S. government and European right-wing populist forces, including the AfD, are deepening distrust between Berlin and Washington. According to recent polls, the AfD’s support has surged past Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance to take the top spot, and they are likely to win the Saxony-Anhalt state election in September.