German Chancellor warns US grant may breach election law

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned the United States on Wednesday against interfering in Germany’s upcoming federal and regional elections, directly criticizing a new State Department grant program that he said could violate German laws banning foreign funding of political parties.

Speaking at his annual summer press conference in Berlin, Merz said that foreign financing of political parties is illegal in Germany and that he expects the United States to respect those rules. “We do not interfere in American elections,” Merz said. “Conversely, I do not want the American government or institutions close to the government to interfere in German elections.”

The remarks came after the State Department announced a nearly $5 million grant program titled “Developing Civilizational Bonds, Democratic Resilience, and Rule of Law in Europe.” The program invites applications for projects focused on freedom of speech, religious liberty, migration, and national sovereignty, among other issues. Although political parties are not explicitly listed as eligible recipients, Merz emphasized that foreign funding of political actors is prohibited under German law.