Merz Stresses Foreign Policy as Central to Germany’s Future

Berlin: Chancellor Friedrich Merz underscored the growing importance of foreign policy as he addressed Germany’s annual ambassadors’ conference in Berlin, marking the first time a chancellor has opened the event since Gerhard Schröder in 2000.
Merz warned that the liberal world order is under mounting pressure, citing a “systemic conflict” between democracies and an “axis of autocracies” led by Russia and China. He said Germany could no longer afford to remain in a false sense of security, detached from global conflicts, adding that foreign policy must now underpin all areas of governance, particularly economic policy.
Positioning Germany as Europe’s strongest economy, Merz stressed that the country carries a responsibility to act decisively on the international stage, not only for its own interests but also for the benefit of its neighbors and the wider European Union. He emphasized that diplomacy should be driven by national and economic interests while remaining rooted in core values.
The shift in approach has been welcomed by coalition partners, with Social Democrats highlighting improved coordination between parliament and government on foreign policy matters. Diplomats, however, noted that while the tone may shift toward a stronger economic focus, the essence of German diplomacy—value-based promotion of national interests—remains unchanged.