His countrymen, he declares, will have to ‘engage’ with the AfD, ‘factually and on substance.’

New Chancellor faces economic stall as the U.S. questions security alliance and stirs a trade war.

While already planned, the trip comes only a day after Merz was elected chancellor by parliament on the second round of voting. His unprecedented failure to succeed on the first round underscored disunity in the coalition of his conservatives and Social Democrats.