Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions, told Newsmax on Monday that the success of the conservative Alternative for Germany party in Sunday’s snap elections represents “historic change” for the country.

But Grenell, who was the U.S. ambassador to Germany during Trump’s first term, bemoaned that the center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union parties are forming a coalition with left-wing parties to prevent AfD from having sway in Parliament for Europe’s largest economy.

The CDU finished first in the election with 28.6% of the vote, and AfD was second with 20.8%, nearly doubling its total in four years. The left-wing Social Democratic Party of Chancellor Olaf Scholz was third with 16.4%. The new chancellor from the CDU is expected to be Friedrich Merz, who criticized Trump on Sunday, reportedly saying his goal for Germany is to “achieve independence from the USA.”

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.