TrumpcalledintoquestiontherelevanceofNATO,praisedBritain’sdecisiontoquittheEuropeanUnion,andcriticizedMerkel’spolicyofadmittinghundredsofthousandsofmigrants,mostofthemMuslims,intoEurope.Duringhiscampaign,TrumpreferredtoMerkelas“agreatworldleader,”butsaidherdecisionsonimmigrationissueswere“tragic”anda“catastrophe.”
AnalystssayMerkel’scallsformigrantquotasamongEUnationshavefuelednationalistmovementsacrossEurope,includingGermany,andwereakeyfactorinBritishvoters’JunedecisiontoleavetheEuropeanUnion.
Far-rightpopulistmovementshavealsomadegainsinGermanyfollowingthemigrantcrisis,andMerkel’spartyhassufferedlosses,includinginherhomestate.