• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been growing increasingly critical of the European Union.

  • His tone marks a notable shift compared to his more EU-friendly predecessor.

  • Meanwhile, Merz has been building a relationship with EU-critical U.S. President Donald Trump.

The historically EU-friendly Merz, a former member of the European Parliament, now has a long list of complaints about the bloc. This has included objections to an increase in the EU’s new long-term budget that was proposed last month, as well as calling the bloc out for sluggishness and complex bureaucracy. Germany was also among the louder critics of the EU-U.S. trade agreement.

      • @Lumidaub@feddit.org
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        42 days ago

        Idk, I’m a law-abiding citizen, my references are just at least 100 years old and from my Sturm und Drang time.

        • B-TR3E
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          02 days ago

          The “Grüne Minna” might indeed be a hundred years by now, but for Hauptmann’s (and the better parts of German literature’s) sake get an idea about Sturm&Drang. You’d really miss something you’d prefer to know. Or maybe it’s just me refusing to let my belief in culture and humanity go…

            • B-TR3E
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              -52 days ago

              You put the “green white party bus” somewhere 100 years ago. Which is technically wrong, because white green “Manschaftswagen” were not in use before the 1970s. Green transporters for arrested subjects AKA “Grüne Minna”, however, were a thing in the 1920s. Maybe the expression “Grüne Minna” even existed during the Sturm&Drang period which was mid 18th century, which I doubt. Nevertheless both times are about 200 years apart and positioning the Sturm&Drang “at least 100 years” in the past is technically correct. In the same way that WWII was at least 10min ago. Putting white-.green Volkswagen minivans into the Sturm und Drang, though, is nothing one should do in public.

              • B-TR3E
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                2 days ago

                I do understand a lot of things, but not these -uncommented, of course- downvotes. Nothing in the posting above is questionable or should be insulting to anybody. Are you drunk? Insane? Stupid and afraid to get smarter? My mother? I just don’t get it.

                • Enkrod
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                  71 day ago

                  Bro referred to “his” Sturm&Drang Zeit, which has nothing to do with actual Sturm&Drang and is a valid expression, that you in your wealth of self importance decided to “uhm aaaaactshualllyyyy”

                  Hence the downvotes.