Vice Chancellor Klingbeil wants to use the election result for talks on tariffs, Iran and Ukraine, Finland's Foreign Minister considers forecasts premature

On 4 November 2026, two more government members in Europe reacted to the congressional election. The basis is projections according to which the Democrats win the Senate and the House of Representatives. There is no official final result yet.

Germany: Klingbeil sees an opportunity. Vice Chancellor and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil congratulated the Democrats at the SPD Economic Forum in Berlin, according to the agency dpa-AFX, as quoted by finanzen.net (14:56 CET). He said he linked the result to the hope that things would become different and better. With the Democrats and the reasonable forces among the Republicans, one should talk about how trade without tariffs is possible, how the war in Iran ends and energy security returns, and how Ukraine can be protected. “Now we should make something of it.” Germany's hand remained outstretched.

Finland: Valtonen does not want to speculate. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said, according to the broadcaster Yle (Svenska Yle, 18:15 CET), that Trump retained a great deal of power, for example the veto and executive orders. By executive order he could, for instance, decide on exemptions from the Russia sanctions in order to bring more Russian diesel into the US. The vote for the Democrats was above all dissatisfaction with Trump, not a desire for a different foreign policy. On US aid for Ukraine, it was “för tidigt att uttala sig” (too early to comment). According to Yle, Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen sees broad support for Ukraine in Congress in both parties.

The German federal government is thus relying more on talks with the new Congress, Finland's government more on waiting. Merz's assessment and further reactions are under Reports, what the new Congress can do from January is in the timeline.