Keyword – World news
Trefwoorden – Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Moldova, Germany, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Friedrich Merz, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Norway
Title – Germany’s Merz cancels phone call with Trump after social media post celebrating AfD win – as it happened | Ukraine | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jakub-krupa,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jennifer-rankin,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jonhenley
Link – Germany’s Merz cancels phone call with Trump after social media post celebrating AfD win – as it happened | Ukraine | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-09-09T15:28:18.000Z
Category – News
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/sep/09/europe-ukraine-russia-zelenskyy-germany-merz-afd-norway-king-harald-v-latest-news-updates
Germany’s Merz cancels phone call with Trump after social media post celebrating AfD win to ‘make Germany great again’
German chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled a planned phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, hours after Trump publicly celebrated a regional election win by Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland party.
A spokesperson for Merz declined to give a reason for the cancellation , but noted in response to questions from journalists that it was not due to scheduling conflicts, AFP said.
Trump , in a post on his Truth Social platform, hailed the “really big night” for the AfD, and used an abbreviation MGGA, apparent reference to an adapted version of Trump’s trademark slogan, “make Germany great again.”
“Wow! T he Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night . They finally got tired of the absolutely horrible Immigration rules and regulations which have hurt Germany so badly. THEY ARE ON THE RISE, and not going to take it anymore! MGGA !!! President DJT”
AFP said Merz’s spokesman did not directly respond to Trump’s comments and declined to comment if there is a link between the two developments , but noted that the chancellor had frequently objected “in general terms” to “interfering in or commenting on the domestic political situation, particularly regarding elections”.
Closing summary
And, on that note, we will be closing the blog for today .
German chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled a planned phone call with US president Donald Trump on Wednesday, hours after Trump publicly celebrated a regional election win by Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland party ( 14:02 ).
The news came hours after a fierce exchanges between Merz and AfD’s leader Alice Weidel during a parliamentary debate in the Bundestag, during which the chancellor accussed the far-right party of seeking “ethnic cleansing” ( 10:05 ), and his defence minister Boris Pistorius pointed out its links with Russia ( 15:07 ).
Celebrating her party’s win in the Saxony-Anhalt election over the weekend, Weidel said Merz “failed to understand the message” from the voters, but his time was “up anyway”.
In other news,
Norway bid farewell to King Harald V in a ceremonial funeral attended by royals and leaders from several other countries ( 12:03 , 13:04 , 14:33 , 17:01 ).
Moldova’s president Maia Sandu warned that “Russia’s frontline is moving further west” after a Russian strike on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border overnight, a day after a drone incursion into Moldovan airspace ( 10:59 ).
Two people were killed in an explosion at a power plant in southern Switzerland, which police said was “a serious workplace incident” ( 11:49 , 17:16 ).
One person died and four were seriously injured after a passenger train collided with a cement truck in Poland ( 12:47 , 17:16 ).
Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić dissolved parliament and announced snap elections for next month as he seeks to extend his hold on power by running for prime minister ( 12:49 ).
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As promised, I have been keeping an eye on reports coming from Switzerland ( 11:49 ) and Poland ( 12:47 ) after two incidents there earlier today, so here is the latest.
Swiss police confirmed that two people were killed in an explosion at a power plant in southern Switzerland, which it described as a “serious workplace incident.”
The building suffered “extensive damage”, their statement said, adding that the exact circumstances and cause of the accident were under investigation, AFP said.
Meanwhile, in Poland, one person died and at least four were seriously injured after a train collided with a cement truck at a level crossing.
Speaking to journalists after the accident, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk called for stricter regulations for drivers violating railway crossing signals.
Norway ends official mourning period as King Hakoon, royal family greet public from balcony
Back in Oslo, the funeral ceremony for late King Harald V has now concluded, with his successor, King Haakon, and the royal family appearing together on the balcony of the royal palace to greet the public.
The flag above the palace was also raised back to fly at full mast, ending the official mourning period after 12 days since Harald’s death.
UK air traffic control provider boss given one week to deliver report into flight chaos
Gwyn Topham and Mark Sweney
The head of the UK air traffic control provider Nats has been given a week to report back on the reasons for the technical failure that has disrupted thousands of flights in the UK and across Europe since Tuesday.
Downing Street said the government still had confidence in Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe, who was summoned to meet the UK transport secretary, Heidi Alexander , on Wednesday morning as the number of flight cancellations passed 2,000.
Rolfe has been facing increasing pressure to quit after the third large-scale stoppage to flights in just over three years.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers had their travel disrupted and delayed, with many stuck on grounded planes for many hours as the incident unravelled. Other passengers were stranded overnight at airports in the UK and abroad.
Alexander raised “significant concerns” with Rolfe, according to the prime minister’s official spokesperson, who told reporters: “She’s asked him to carry out a full investigation into what happened to make sure that lessons are learned, so that this doesn’t happen again.”
They added: “It’s self-evident that she wants answers and the full investigation to be reported back in a week’s time, and she’s got confidence in him to deliver that.”
Pressed on whether the government’s confidence in the head of air traffic control was conditional on the investigation, the spokesperson replied: “We have confidence in him and he’s been tasked with the investigation, which will report in a week’s time.”
Airlines including Ryanair and WizzAir have called for Rolfe to resign or be sacked by Alexander.
EU grants Spain €115m in aid for Ceuta, border security
Meanwhile, the European Union said it was granting Spain €115m in emergency aid to help bolster border security and assist returns after the massive migrant rush into the north African exclave, AFP reported.
“ The situation in Ceuta has put pressure on our external borders . Our message remains clear: we are committed to combat illegal migration and ensure the swift return of those who remain illegally in Ceuta,” said European Commission vice-president Henna Virkkunen.
German chancellor accuses far-right AfD party of seeking ‘ethnic cleansing’
And if you missed our earlier coverage of Friedrich Merz’s fiery debate with AfD’s leader Alice Weidel ( 10:05 , 10:21 ), we have this report by our Berlin correspondent, Deborah Cole .
“ Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has accused the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) of seeking “ethnic cleansing” with its “remigration” drive, after the nativist party’s seismic weekend victory in a state election.
In his first public confrontation with the AfD since Sunday’s shock outcome in Saxony-Anhalt , Merz said at a raucous parliamentary debate that the far-right party would take an axe to one of the pillars of the German economy with a racist campaign of mass deportations.
“ The term ‘remigration’ is nothing but a synonym for ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin colour,” he said on Wednesday to applause from the other parties in the Bundestag lower house.
In a fiery speech addressed to the AfD parliamentary group, which repeatedly interrupted him with loud taunts and heckling, Merz said millions of working immigrants were crucial to German society.
“If those working in Germany have to leave the country again because you are championing ‘remigration’,” Merz said, “then the skilled trades in Germany will no longer be able to function: not a single care home will remain open, not a single hospital in Germany will remain operational, and not a single restaurant in Germany will be able to stay in business.”
He said the AfD’s rhetoric, which propelled it to the strongest showing for a far-right party in a German state since the Nazi period, “is precisely what is dividing our society so deeply”.
Support for Merz, a conservative Christian Democrat, has plummeted in the 16 months since he took office at the helm of a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats, amid disappointment over slow progress on economic growth and the cost of living.
He has adopted a hard line on border policy in a faltering bid to win back AfD supporters, and acknowledged Germany still had “problems in the area of migration”.”
Germany’s Pistorius warns against ‘real, serious, acute’ threat from Russia and criticises ‘treasonous’ AfD
Meanwhile, German defence minister Boris Pistorius is speaking in the Bundestag, outlining why Germany needs to ramp up its defence spending to counter the emerging threat from Russia.
He says the proposed spending is needed to deliver on the pledge to keep the country safe, despite some criticism based on “very simplistic approach” of “populist” comparisons against schools, roads, or hospitals.
“ A strong, capable Bundeswehr and a united, capable Nato are essential if we are to truly protect and preserve our achievements and our way of life. Without security, nothing else matters,” he says.
He says the Russian threat Germany and Europe more broadly is “real, serious and acute,” as demonstrated by the recent attempted drone attack in Leipzig, as well as other incidents including an armed Russian fighter jet in Estonian airspace and drone incidents elsewhere.
“Russia is attempting to spy on, influence, intimidate, and destabilize our societies – and, above all, to sow uncertainty among the public. And this represents a new level of threat. Moscow is increasingly willing to accept the risk of escalation .”
He says Russia is “massively ramping up” its defence spending, a clear “threat” against Europe .
Without willing to disclose too much, Pistorius adds:
“Why, after all, did CIA Director Radcliffe travel to Moscow just under two weeks ago? Certainly not to buy matryoshka dolls or go to the ballet.”
“ And the only ones … who deny it, who call him a friend … who want to pull out Nato and jeopardise the security of us all, they are sitting right there – that is the AfD, ” he says, adding that the party’s links with Russia are “treasonous.”
“You need to realize that these are the very people ready to hand us over to Putin tomorrow,” he warns.
Coffin of King Harald being moved to the royal mausoleum at Akershus Fortress
Back in Oslo, the funeral procession with the coffin of Norway’s King Harald V is now again on the move.
After a funeral service at the Oslo Cathedral, the coffin is now being moved towards Akershus Fortress, where the late monarch will be buried in the royal mausoleum, next to his parents and grandparents.
After the ceremony at the cathedral, four F-35 fighter jets flew over the cathedral in a “missing man” formation , their tribute to the king.
The rest of the funeral will proceed in private.
A senior politician in the Social Democratic party, Merz’s coalition partners, Dirk Wiese, condemned Trump’s social media comments as “interference” with German politics, and calling them “unacceptable.”
“I believe we, as the federal government, cannot tolerate it,” he said in comments reported by Suddeutsche Zeitung and Deutschlandfunk.
Germany’s Merz cancels phone call with Trump after social media post celebrating AfD win to ‘make Germany great again’
German chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled a planned phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, hours after Trump publicly celebrated a regional election win by Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland party.
A spokesperson for Merz declined to give a reason for the cancellation , but noted in response to questions from journalists that it was not due to scheduling conflicts, AFP said.
Trump , in a post on his Truth Social platform, hailed the “really big night” for the AfD, and used an abbreviation MGGA, apparent reference to an adapted version of Trump’s trademark slogan, “make Germany great again.”
“Wow! T he Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night . They finally got tired of the absolutely horrible Immigration rules and regulations which have hurt Germany so badly. THEY ARE ON THE RISE, and not going to take it anymore! MGGA !!! President DJT”
AFP said Merz’s spokesman did not directly respond to Trump’s comments and declined to comment if there is a link between the two developments , but noted that the chancellor had frequently objected “in general terms” to “interfering in or commenting on the domestic political situation, particularly regarding elections”.
EU unveils ‘buy European’ public procurement rules to counter China
in Brussels
European authorities will be encouraged to buy more domestic goods and services when they spend public money under the EU latest effort to counter China’s economic might.
In a further “Buy European” plan, the European Commission published proposals on Wednesday for a sweeping overhaul of EU public procurement rules.
National authorities and public bodies, such as schools and hospitals, will be encouraged to buy goods and services made in Europe but, unlike earlier plans to promote domestically manufactured clean tech , there will be no binding “made in Europe” quotas.
Brussels officials are concerned that many public agencies think existing EU rules oblige them to choose the cheapest bid when spending public money, which can lead to the contract going to a non-European firm.
The European Commission’s lead official on industrial policy, Stéphane Séjourné , told reporters the regulation would give public sector buyers greater legal certainty and clarity about purchasing goods and services made in Europe.
“ Purchasers can have a more preferential approach to European bids [and] restrict or reject bids from countries which do not have a public procurement agreement or do not play by binding rules in terms of public procurement internationally,” he said.
Séjourné hopes the proposals will encourage more democratic scrutiny over the spending of public money by local authorities.
“It won’t be the European Commission’s fault if purchasers were to prefer Chinese buses to European buses because … in the [draft regulation] there is every possibility to give preference to European buses.”
Funeral service for King Harald V gets under way
Back to Oslo, the funeral procession has now arrived at the Oslo Cathedral, where the service for the late King Harald V is about to get under way.
Earlier, a 21-gun salute rang out over the capital at the start of the roughly 30-minute funeral procession from the royal palace, AP said.
Here are some pictures from the events so far:
Serbia’s Vučić calls snap election on 25 October
Meanwhile in Serbia , the country’s president Aleksandar Vučić dissolved parliament and announced snap elections for next month as he seeks to extend his hold on power by running for prime minister.
Reuters reported that Vučić, a populist who has been in power as president or prime minister for 12 years, has faced nearly two years of anti-corruption demonstrations triggered by the collapse of a railway station awning in the city of Novi Sad in November 2024 that killed 16 people.
He set the election date as 25 October.
At least 20 injured after passenger train crashes with truck in Poland
At least 20 people have been injured, four of them seriously, after an InterCity passenger train struck a truck at a level crossing in Poland and derailed.
Poland’s railway operator, PKP Intercity , said 120 people were on board at the time of the crash.
Emergency services are currently on the scene.
I will keep an eye on this for you.
Russia hopes to see restarted peace talks with Ukraine, says Europe ‘harming itself’ by cutting off Russian gas
Russia hopes that peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the United States, will resume in the near future, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in comments reported by Reuters.
No such direct talks have taken place since February.
But t he Kremlin will not publicly discuss potential elements of a possible peace settlement, Peskov added.
He was speaking after Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump had a telephone call on Tuesday to discuss prospects for ending the war.
Peskov also said that European countries have found themselves in a difficult position amid rising gas prices, and that they could buy gas at cheaper prices from Russia.
European natural gas prices have soared amid the war in Iran, hitting their highest level last week since late 2022, when the start of the Ukraine conflict prompted Europe to cut off Russian pipeline gas.
Peskov said Europe was harming itself by buying expensive gas at spot prices as opposed to the more affordable Russian option , and suggested that the controversial Nord Stream pipeline could be restarted soon.
Kremlin’s spokesperson also confirmed that Russia would respond to Hungary’s decision to expel 10 Russian diplomats from Budapest.