Hendrik Wüst praises Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his NATO course

North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst has acknowledged the role of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (both CDU) in NATO. At the award ceremony for the Peace of Westphalia Prize in Münster, Wüst said that Merz had taken on groundbreaking responsibility for NATO in a crucial phase. “Where others hesitated, the German Chancellor stayed the course and thereby gave the alliance stability.”

“With his clear commitment to the five percent target, the Chancellor has shown that Germany is a reliable partner and that reliability remains the strongest link in our alliance,” added Wüst. “Our allies can rely on Germany.”

At their summit in The Hague in June 2025, the Allies set a new goal of investing five percent of gross domestic product in defense and security every year from 2035 at the latest - more than ever since the Cold War. Of this, 3.5 percent should be classic defense spending, and another 1.5 percent could flow into infrastructure. Previously the target was two percent.

The Chancellor is under massive pressure domestically following the CDU's series of defeats in three state elections. In the event that Merz falls, Wüst is considered the most promising candidate for successor alongside Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU).