Maintaining a cordial atmosphere appeared to be the primary objective of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to the White House this past Tuesday. Merz remained silent as President Donald Trump criticized Spain for its stance against the U.S. This silence has been poorly received in Spain.
Following the Oval Office meeting, reports indicate a phone call between Merz and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took place. The relationship between the two leaders has demonstrably suffered.
“Spain has been terrible,” Trump stated during a press conference. Prior to this, the Spanish Prime Minister had strongly condemned the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and indicated that Spanish military bases would not be used for American operations. Last year, Sánchez also resisted Trump’s demand that Spain meet the NATO target of spending 5% of its GDP on defense.
“We will stop all trade with Spain. We don’t want to have anything to do with Spain anymore,” Trump continued. When a journalist directly asked Merz for his reaction, he did not defend his European counterpart, stating, “The President is right, Spain is the only country that doesn’t meet the NATO requirement. We are trying to convince the Spanish.”
The Spanish government reacted immediately and clearly. They had expected support from Germany. “imagine this would have happened with previous Chancellors, such as Angela Merkel or Olaf Scholz,” said the Spanish Foreign Minister.
The Strategy of Merz
Merz made his priorities clear at the White House: avoid criticizing Trump in public, hoping to conduct business behind closed doors regarding matters such as support for Ukraine and EU import tariffs.
Afterward, the Chancellor stated that he had made it clear to Trump in private that trade sanctions against Spain were not an option. “Spain is a member of the EU. We conclude trade agreements together, or we conclude them not at all,” Merz told the German press. However, the signal received in Spain was that Merz was not there to promote European unity, but rather to prioritize the U.S. Alliance.
It remains unclear what Merz has achieved with his strategy. He was unable to provide further clarity regarding commitments for Ukraine or import tariffs. What we have is a sensitive point for him, as European companies are eager for clarity on the tariffs, and a significant portion of his support at home depends on his ability to revive the German economy.
His other key objective, to act as a European leader as Chancellor of the most powerful country in the EU, is meanwhile losing credibility. It is his Foreign Minister who is now attempting to mend the rift, with the statement that “we will not allow ourselves to be played off against each other.”
The Position of Spain
Meanwhile, Sánchez is attempting to position himself as a progressive leader within Europe. While most world leaders approach President Trump with caution, Sánchez has adopted a more assertive stance. Since the beginning of Trump’s presidency, Sánchez has openly opposed him and demonstrated a different path than his European counterparts.
He made this clear again with his speech in response to Trump’s threats. He emphasized diplomacy over bombs and said: “We will not be complicit in anything that is bad for the world, out of fear of retaliation from anyone.”
The situation in the Middle East reminded him of the Iraq War of 2003, he said. According to Sánchez, that led to insecurity, more terrorism, and new crises in Europe and worldwide. “No a la guerra” he repeated several times: “No to war.” Roughly twenty years ago, left-wing parties in Spain used that slogan when the then-Prime Minister José Aznar decided to support the American invasion of Iraq.
the Spanish Prime Minister adheres to his principled position in the hope that more countries will follow. And the German Chancellor Merz must wait and witness what his pragmatic approach yields.
