Friedrich Merz is skeptical that Donald Trump will change his governing style after Democrats took control of the U.S. Congress

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday in Berlin that he does not expect Donald Trump to change his governing style after the U.S. midterm elections, following which Democrats took control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“Over the past two years, Trump has largely governed without taking Congress into account. Why would that change now?” Merz said. He added that the U.S. president would likely continue to rely on executive orders and stressed that his constitutional position is stronger than that of a German chancellor.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul took a more optimistic approach. He said closer cooperation between the United States and Europe could pave the way for initiatives concerning conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Wadephul also hopes for a resumption of bipartisan dialogue in Congress on support for Kyiv.

Democrats won 54 Senate seats and at least 225 seats in the House of Representatives, surpassing the 218-seat threshold for a majority. Full control of Congress will allow them to exert greater pressure on Trump, who has threatened to use his veto power to block the opposition’s agenda.