German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned the United States administration against interfering in Germany's upcoming state elections.
The warning follows a new US State Department funding scheme targeting European organizations.
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According to The Guardian, the US initiative offers grants of up to $3 million for European charities and think tanks.
The State Department said the grants aim to support political philosophies aligned with national sovereignty, migration control, and western heritage.
Chancellor Merz stated on Wednesday that Germany does not interfere in American political processes. He expects the same boundary to be respected in return.
"For our part, we do not interfere in American elections," Merz said. He emphasized that external government institutions should remain uninvolved in national democratic processes.
"Conversely, I do not want the American government or institutions close to the government to interfere in German elections," Merz added.
The grant program is reportedly administered by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
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Former US officials said the initiative is a deliberate effort to redirect government funds to assist right-wing factions in Europe.
Critics noted that the guidelines allow individuals and governmental institutions to apply for funding, though specific criteria remain unclear.
One former official expressed concern that the funding could disrupt the fairness of European elections by disproportionately supporting specific political movements.
"There seems to be an effort by the state department to put the thumb on the scale of elections in Europe, giving an unfair advantage to rightwing parties with resources that they would ordinarily not get," the former official said.
The US initiative follows several high-profile criticisms of western European policies by American figures, including Vice President JD Vance.
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US officials have also been strengthening connections with conservative and far-right groups across Europe, while Germany maintains strict legal prohibitions against foreign financing of domestic political parties.
