Berlin isn't expecting Trump to change his "America First" stance following the US midterm elections, Germany's foreign minister said. Other German and European politicians hailed the results as a setback for Trump.
Image: picture-alliance/U. Baumgarten
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Although Democrats made electoral gains in Tuesday's midterm elections, officials in Germany and other European Union countries said they do not believe the results will prompt a change in US President Donald Trump's approach to foreign policy.
"It would be a mistake to expect a course correction from Donald Trump now," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter.
He emphasized that the United States remains Germany's closest partner outside of Europe, but in order to maintain that partnership he said, "We will have to recalibrate and adjust our relationship with the USA."
The transatlantic coordinator for the German government, Peter Beyer, was also skeptical that Tuesday's election results will ease Europe's worries, particularly since NATO matters and international trade are under the jurisdiction of the Republican-controlled Senate.
"I don't think we should expect too much from this outcome and the impact on us," Beyer told German public broadcaster ZDF.
Frans Timmermans, the vice president of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter that US voters "chose hope over fear, civility over rudeness, inclusion over racism, equality over discrimination."
"They stood up for their values. And so will we," the Dutch politician added, looking ahead to the European Parliament elections in 2019.
Pierre Moscovici, a former French finance minister who is the European commissioner for economic and financial affairs, made an ironic comment about Trump's claim of "tremendous success" in the election.
"The Democrats win the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years despite powerful Republican gerrymandering," Moscovici wrote on Twitter. "Donald Trump is right: 'Tremendous success tonight.'"
Manfred Weber, a German politician who heads up the European Parliament's center-right European People's Party (EPP), said the results were a "mixed signal."
With Democrats in control of the House of Representatives, pushing through Trump's legislative agenda will now be harder, Weber told local public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, adding that Republicans and Democrats will have to work together to find solutions and "that is perhaps the good news of the day."
US midterm elections 2018: Winners and losers
The US midterm elections resulted in a few surprise victories — and losses. There were many firsts, but also missed opportunities for favored candidates. DW breaks down the biggest winners and losers of the night.
Image: Reuters/A. Kelly
First-time winners: Native American women enter Congress
Deb Haaland, a Democrat from New Mexico, became one of the first Native American women to be elected to the US Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. The 57-year-old member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe in New Mexico was one of three female Native American candidates running for Congress — a record number.
Image: Reuters/B. Snyder
Another first for a Native American woman
Sharice Davids, also a Democrat and also Native American, beat her Republican opponent in Kansas to be elected to the House. She identifies as lesbian and is therefore also the first LGBT member of Congress from her state. A former mixed martial arts fighter, she is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, a Native American tribe in Wisconsin.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/C.E. Braley
The youngest-ever congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 29-year old from the Bronx, New York, became the youngest person to ever be elected to the US Congress. A Democrat, she is associated with the more progressive wing of the party and was endorsed by former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Image: Reuters/A. Kelly
The first openly gay governor
Jared Polis, 43, is the first openly gay person to be elected governor in the United States after winning his race in the state of Colorado. The self-made millionaire and tech entrepreneur was admitted to Princeton when he was 16-years-old. A Democrat, he represented Colorado in the House for five terms before being elected governor.
Image: Reuters/E. Semon
First Muslim-American congresswomen
Rashida Tlaib is one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to the US House of Representatives. The 42-year-old is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Born and raised in Detroit, she already broke records by becoming the first female Muslim to be elected as State Representative in Michigan in 2008.
Image: Reuters/R. Cook
The first Somali-American congresswoman
Ilhan Omar, 36, is also one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to the US House of Representatives. Omar fled Somalia with her family when she was 8-years-old. She lived in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the US in 1997. A Democrat, she will represent Minnesota in the House.
Image: Reuters/E. Miller
A lost opportunity for a Democratic darling
Beto O'Rourke, a little-known congressman and former punk-rock musician, rose to popularity in his home-state of Texas and across the US. He ran a surprisingly close race for a Senate seat against incumbent Ted Cruz, who is a former Republican presidential candidate. Despite losing this election, O'Rourke is seen by many as a future leader in the Democratic party.
Image: Getty Images/C. Somodevilla
A missed chance for former Marine pilot
Amy McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot, stood a good chance of ousting three-time Republican congressman Andy Barr in Kentucky. Despite being a top candidate for the Democrats, McGrath did not manage to win in the southern state where Trump won the presidential vote by 16 points in 2016.
Image: Reuters/J. Sommers
When Obama's endorsement isn't enough
Andrew Gillum had been endorsed by former President Barack Obama, but failed to become Florida's first African-American governor. Gillum, who is mayor of Tallahassee, suffered a close defeat to Republican Ron DeSantis.
Image: Reuters/C. Hackley
Vermont doesn't elect transgender governor
Despite Vermont being a traditionally progressive state, Christine Hallquist failed to oust Republican Phil Scott from the governor's spot. If she had won, Hallquist would have become the first openly transgender governor in the US.
Image: Reuters/C. Kenna
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'Good day for democracy in America'
Some in Germany saw the election results as an opportunity to forge better ties with Congress, and possibly block actions from Trump that could negatively impact Europe.
"Now there are more people in office who might be more open to having a constructive dialogue with Europeans and I think Germans will use that opportunity," Daniela Schwarzer, director at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) told DW.
Jürgen Hardt, the foreign policy spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc in parliament, said Germany needs to quickly line-up talks with the new members of Congress in Washington.
Berlin especially needs to make clear the "the importance of the transatlantic relationship" to the new representatives and senators, he told public broadcaster SWR.
Annalena Baerbock, the co-leader of the Greens, hailed the election as a "good day for democracy in America," adding that the results show "that discriminatory rhetoric and policies of marginalization do not win over the majority." Overall, Democratic candidates for Congress won nearly 14 million votes more than Republican nominees.
Backing for Trump came from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who congratulated the US leader on his victory in the Senate, saying the results were due to his "successful economic and migration policy," reported DW's Thomas Sparrow.
The US president has offered praise and dished out criticism of Germany. Whether describing the chancellor as "the greatest" or claiming Berlin owes "vast sums of money" to the US, here are his most memorable quotes.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/C. May
The good, the bad and the ugly
US President Donald Trump has offered both candid praise and unabashed criticism of Germany and its policies. From calling German Chancellor Angela Merkel "possibly the greatest world leader" to describing her open-door refugee policy as a "catastrophic mistake," here are his most memorable quotes regarding Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/C. May
'Greatest'
"Germany's like sitting back silent, collecting money and making a fortune with probably the greatest leader in the world today, Merkel," Trump said in a 2015 interview with US news magazine Time.
Image: Picture alliance/AP Photo/M. Schreiber
'Very bad'
"The Germans are bad, very bad ... Look at the millions of cars they sell in the US. Terrible. We'll stop that," Trump said during a NATO leaders summit, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel, which cited sources at the alliance's meeting.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/E. Vucci
'Something in common'
"As far as wiretapping, I guess, by - you know - [the Obama] administration, at least we have something in common, perhaps," Trump said in March during a press conference with Merkel. He was referring to his unproven allegations that ex-President Barack Obama tapped his phone. There was widespread anger in Germany in 2013 when it was revealed the US National Security Agency tapped Merkel's phone.
Image: Picture alliance/R. Sachs/CNP
'Illegals'
"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals (sic), you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from," Trump said in a joint interview published by German daily Bild and British newspaper The Times, referring to Merkel's open-door policy for refugees fleeing war and persecution.
Image: Getty Images/S. Gallup
'Germany owes vast sums of money'
"Despite what you have heard from the fake news, I had a great meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO and the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany," Trump said in a two-tweet statement after meeting with Merkel for the first time in March 2017.
Image: Picture alliance/dpa/L. Mirgeler
'Turning their backs'
"The people of Germany are turning against their leadership as migration is rocking the already tenuous Berlin coalition," Trump tweeted in the midst of a row within the German goverment. He went on to claim that: "Crime in Germany is way up. Big mistake made all over Europe in allowing millions of people in who have so strongly and violently changed their culture!"
