German politicians are clearly disappointed by the re-election of Donald Trump to the US presidency, while the Alternative for Germany(AfD), which directly supported the Republican candidate, is celebrating his election.

“There is no point in complaining. Europe, including Germany, must now do more for peace, security, and freedom on our continent. This will be expensive and exhausting. But we must finally come of age. “Hotel Mama America is over,” wrote the chairman of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael Roth (SPD), in a post on the “X” platform, while the foreign policy spokesman of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU), Norbert Röttgen, took a similar position:

“Trump is unpredictable. Initially, he did not even want to meet with Zelensky. It would be a surprise if he continued to support Ukraine. He believes that the Europeans should do it on their own, a view that is also popular in the US,” the Christian Democrat politician told RTL/ntv networks in an interview and predicted that “there will be a real period of strain on transatlantic relations.” But there is a European side to this, he stressed: “We must now contribute what is our due much more quickly and much more comprehensively. It is our Europe and we only have one. If the US abstains, European security must become European. This must now be expected of all governments in Europe. They must rise to the occasion of historical circumstances and in a time of war.”

Referring to Germany, Röttgen expressed the view that the government is not prepared for Trump’s re-election. “The message has always been: watching and doing. That makes it even more difficult to adapt now that we have a war in Europe,” he noted.

CDU MP Kai Whittaker also predicted that “the next four years will be difficult for Europe”, adding that “we will only defend our freedom, security, and prosperity if we finally give up our comfort and roll up our sleeves“. Now Berlin is even more important, he argued in a post on the “X” platform.

CDU MEP Dennis Radke expressed his disappointment with the US election result, calling it a victory for “trampism”. “Even worse than Trump’s victory is the victory of “trumpism” and the realization that one can win elections with lies, hatred, and denial of science. We can see in Europe that this idea is gaining more and more ground,” he said.

Enthusiastic, by contrast, are the reactions from the AfD side, with its parliamentary group leader, Alice Weidel, wishing Trump “good luck with God’s blessing” and stressing that “this election was not decided by woke Hollywood, but by working Americans.”