Merkel Headed for a ‘Cold Reception’ in Washington, German Press Fears
‘Fanfare for Macron, Cold Shoulder for Merkel,’ laments the leading German daily ahead of the Friday visit
Ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s one-day visit to Washington scheduled for Friday, German media have complained about the lack of ceremonial pomp accorded to the visiting leader. German media outlets were incensed by the fact that French President Emmanuel Macron, who is also touring the US this week, was receiving an preferential treatment from the White House. Germany, given its economic strength, considers itself a bigger player in Europe than France.
‘Fanfare for Macron–Cold Shoulder for Merkel,’ was the headline in the Monday edition of the German newspaper DIE WELT, while the German edition of the HUFF POST complained about the “cold reception” awaiting the visiting German leader.
German newspaper BERLINER ZEITUNG summed up what Chancellor Merkel will be missing out on her trip:
A private dinner at Mount Vernon, the colonial country estate of the first US President George Washington with breathtaking view of the Potomac. A state dinner at the White House. A speech before the Congress. a joint wreath-laying ceremony at the Arlington cemetery. During French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit, US President Donald is rolling out a huge diplomatic red carpet. [Translation by the author]
“Merkel is visiting Washington merely out of political urgency, and has to prepare herself for a cold reception,” lamented the HUFF POST. The news website cited President Trump’s recent move towards economic nationalism and airstrikes against Syrian dictator Assad’s chemical weapons facilities as ‘political urgency’ that prompted Chancellor Merkel to visit the Trump White House.
“Merkel wants to save Multilateralism: the existence of global economic order. Germany, an export nation, is especially worried at the prospect of trade agreements and duty-free [market access] losing their validity” HUFF POST wrote, alluding to the recent measures taken by the US government to raise tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum imports.
“Furthermore, it will be about the international trouble spots–primarily Syria. The US has lost trust globally, but recently France and Great Britain supported military strike against the Assad regime,” the left-wing news outlet added. Germany did not take part in that mission.
According to the German media coverage, both France and Germany are also expected to press the US President to keep the Nuclear Deal with Tehran intact.
Germany daily DIE WELT described the current state of the US-German diplomatic ties:
Angela Merkel arrives in Washington on Friday. It will be a working visit that would last only a day and will be reduced to the bare minimum. Compare to the efforts undertaken by the White House for Macron, Merkel’s visit will be limited to Protestant simplicity.
On one hand this highlights the fact that France is back at the world state as an important European power following six years of François Hollande and now with Macron at the helm. It also shows that French President has managed things much more efficiently in creating a good relationship with the difficult US President, compared to Merkel or the British Prime Minister.
Whereas you had a radio silence between Merkel and Trump that lasted several months during the phase of government formation in Germany, American President talks at least once a week with his French counterpart–more than any other world leader. [Translation by the author]
Similar assessments were made on the other side of the Atlantic as well. “Merkel Has Disastrously Bungled Her Relationship With Trump,” declared FOREIGN POLICY, a leading Washington-based policy journal.
It is unclear if President Trump’s alleged ‘differential treatment’ of the visiting European leaders reflects his personal preferences or is a calculated move to drive a wedge between the two major powers tussling for the leadership of the EU.
Besides personal dimension to the US-France bilateral ties, President Trump might have some tangible reasons to offer diplomatic courtesies to the French leader. While the French President has been relatively mute in his criticism of the US President, German Chancellor has made little effort to conceal of her dislike for him. In her first message to the President-Elect, she lectured him on gender, racial, and religious equality. Merkel’s speech made her the darling of the liberal press, but it did not win her any friends in the incoming administration. It is no secret that the German Chancellor would have preferred the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to win the US presidential election, a fact apparent from the millions of euros donated by the Merkel government to the Clinton Foundation.
Last July, President Macron invited President Trump to be the guest of honor at the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris. Despite several bilateral meetings, including the one on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, the US President has not been invited to a stand-alone state visit.
France also joined the US and Britain in striking Syria’s chemical weapons program. Despite Merkel’s diplomatic backing for the military action, Germany refused to join the NATO allies. Furthermore, the German parliament slammed the strikes as illegal. “Military force used against a state to punish it for infringing an international convention violates the prohibition of force under international law,” said the Bundestag report.
Despite the dismay and surprise displayed by the German media, President Trump’s handling of the two world leaders should not come as a surprise to anyone. The current US President, unlike his predecessor, has been consistent in rewarding the loyal foreign allies and sidelining the adversaries. The message from the Trump White House is clear, if allies want the White House banquets or other goodies, they will have to earn it.
Video: President Trump welcomes French President Macron
[Cover image via YouTube]
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Comments
Have France and Germany switched places in the whining war?
Put another way, has it gone from wining (France) to wiening (Germany)?
“Merkel’s one-day visit to Washington scheduled for Friday, German media have complained about the lack of ceremonial pomp accorded to the visiting leader”
Well, today’s Tuesday. That gives us the rest of today, all day tomorrow and Thursday. Since most of them already know how the music goes (they routinely hum it during their workday), it won’t be too hard to teach members of the liberal MSM all the words to the Horst Wessel Song.
As the EU/German dictator drags her considerable ass around DC on Friday the MSM can provide all the pomp she deserves by breaking out in song,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst-Wessel-Lied
Merkel should be forced to wear her veil while in the U.S.
Snark.
I dare anyone to tell Merkel this to her face.
““As far as racism goes, the modern loony left seem to forget that Hitler was leftwing,”Morrissey” – hat tip to Ace of Spades.
Maybe the President should schedule a visit for Frau Merkel to the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey. Then she can join him in commemorating the victory for liberty by American Patriots in December 1776 over the British and Hessian troops occupying that city.
Merkel has been as rude to Trump as any leader in the free world in decades. She has poisoned her own country by importing ignorance and filth into Germany and called them immigrants. She killed alternative electrical power to be “Green” and now has the highest energy costs in the EU. She barley was able to form a governing party with the dregs of Germany’s other left wing groups. She represents almost the exact opposite of Trump’s view of the world. Why would anyone think she would be treated like a conquering hero? Only the left and the msm!
She is like a German Hillary, there is even a similar look to them, so given the politics and her looking like Hillary’s sister, I don’t think I’d be giving a warm reception to her either.
Though France is just as stupid with the immigration issue, I wonder if Trump thinks he might be able to mold Marcon to lean a little more right. Merkel – no chance. And she is rude to Trump, and having trouble in possibly keeping her arraignment going.
She will be treated with the same degree of respect the Kim gets.
The same media thought it hilarious when Russian intelligence officials released a intercepted phone conversation between Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland where she is heard to say “fuck Merkel.”
But in 2018? They’re clutching their pearl necklaces and working through their Rosary prayers because RTUMP may not kiss the EU’s ring.
Merkel looks like a female version of Kim Jong Un.
Just a thought, but we are about to go into talks with the only well fed person in North Korea that might mean the end of the Korean War after 67 years. While I hate the pudgy little kimchee scented weasel; it may not be politic and in fact downright insulting to compare him to Merkel just before the summit.
merkel has done to Germany what Obama was trying his best to do to America. Americans caught on, and that was a big factor in Trump becoming president.
Merkel should, but probably won’t, get a cool reception. For a decade she has been the toast of American socialists, HRC having identified her as most admired. Her self-immolating open border policies in Germany are touted as the future; meanwhile, her internationalist EU pose is no more than a smokescreen for German economic domination of Europe.
But she has come to beg for a fix for JCPOA to enable her industries to keep exporting stuff to Iranian genocidaires. If Trump reimposed sanctions, those same weasels will be forced to choose between us and the Iranians. Merkel is on a cheap trade mission and nothing more. Trump needs to force some hard choices.
Insulting POTUS and then concerned about a “cold reception”? Facing the consequences for her behavior seems appropriate to me. She doesn’t have to “like” him, all she needed to do was treat him with the respect his office dictates.
Maybe she should just stay home and do something to protect the women in her country from the rapists she allowed in.
maybe Germany needs a Mrs. Bobbitt to train locals in how to deal with Muslim rapists? A nice fringe benefit would be to lower reproduction rate.
It also shows that French President has managed things much more efficiently in creating a good relationship with the difficult US President, compared to Merkel or the British Prime Minister.
Must be the Patriarchy up to its nefarious tricks.
You reap what you sow, Angie baby.
If she gets a cold shoulder maybe GW Bush will come out of retirement and rub it for her.
Or maybe the collectivist globalists will all just go away in shame. One can dream.
LOL RE: a Bush massage! LOL
Thanks for the good laugh today Paul!
So are they saying if Trump were to visit Germany, he would receive a glowing reception with open arms and all the pomp one could imagine?
No, I can’t see that either.
She is destroying culture and industry throughout Europe. She is a prime reason for Brexit. She has shorted NATO for 20 years. She is rude, arrogant and power mad.
She is rude, arrogant and power mad.
As oldgoat said…A German Hillary
Without the empathy and the loving charm.
She should go north a few hours for a warmer welcome. True-doe will put on some bizarre inappropriate ethnic attire and sing/dance for her to the embarrassment of his multi-cultural train wreck of a country.
She should receive a notice when she gets to the gate at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue that due to association with known terrorists and criminals she cannot get clearance to enter. Give her a coupon to a falafel joint and say bye.