Do not assume US still aspires to be a world
leader, Merkel warns
German chancellor says rethink will be needed if US
waves goodbye to global role
Philip
Oltermann in Berlin
@philipoltermann
Published
onFri 26 Jun 2020 16.00 BST
The rest of
the world can no longer take it for granted that the US still aspires to be a
global leader and needs to readjust its priorities accordingly, Angela Merkel
has warned.
“We grew up
in the certain knowledge that the United States wanted to be a world power,”
the German chancellor said in an interview with a group of six European
newspapers, including the Guardian.
“Should the
US now wish to withdraw from that role of its own free will, we would have to
reflect on that very deeply.”
Merkel, the
first German leader to have grown up on the eastern side of the iron curtain,
has in the past frequently spoken of her admiration for the US’s global
influence. When she spoke in front of Congress in 2009, Merkel rhapsodised
about the “incredible gift of freedom” bestowed on eastern Germans with the
US-supported toppling of the Berlin Wall.
But even
during Barack Obama’s presidency Merkel saw her government repeatedly chided
for its low military spending – criticism that intensified under Donald Trump,
who recently confirmed plans to withdraw 9,500 American troops from bases in
Germany.
In an
interview with the Guardian, Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung, France’s Le Monde,
Spain’s La Vanguardia, Italy’s La Stampa and Poland’s Polityka, Merkel said the
US military presence in central Europe was in the US’s own interest.
“American
troops in Germany help to protect not only Germany and the European part of
NATO but also the interests of the United States of America,” the chancellor
said.
Talking of
Germany’s military spending, Merkel said: “We in Germany know that we have to
spend more on defence; we have achieved considerable increases in recent years,
and we will continue on that path to enhance our military capabilities.”
But
“reflecting very deeply” for Merkel does not appear to amount to an endorsement
of what the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has called European “strategic
autonomy”, the ability to defend the continent without reliance on the US.
“Look at
the world; look at China or India,” Merkel said. “There are compelling reasons
to remain committed to a transatlantic defence community and our shared nuclear
umbrella. But of course Europe needs to carry more of the burden than during
the cold war.”
Asked if
Germany underestimated the threat posed by Russia, Merkel acknowledged a
pattern of belligerent behaviour, citing “misinformation campaigns” and the
murder of the Chechen exile Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin, which German
prosecutors accuse Moscow of having ordered.
“The murder
in Berlin’s Tiergarten park is a serious incident, obviously, the blame for
which is currently being ascertained in court”, the chancellor said. “At any
rate, we recognise hybrid warfare, methods of destabilisation, as a Russian
behaviour pattern.”
“On the
other hand, there are good reasons to keep engaging in constructive dialogue
with Russia. In countries like Syria and Libya, countries in Europe’s immediate
neighbourhood, Russia’s strategic influence is great. I will therefore
continue to strive for cooperation.”
Merkel still 'most popular politician' in Germany
The Local
news@thelocal.de
@thelocalgermany
26 June
2020
16:56
CEST+02:00
Chancellor Angela Merkel is still Germany's
top politician and her party is doing very well too, according to a new survey.
Merkel's
handling of the coronavirus crisis has been praised across the world. And it appears it's also being recognised by
voters in Germany.
Merkel's
party, the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), and its Bavarian sister
party the CSU, increased in popularity among voters to 40 percent, according to
a new poll – the highest amount in almost three years.
The CDU and
CSU last achieved a similarly strong figure in August 2017, before the federal
election campaign began. During this time, the Union managed to gain 32.9
percent.
In the
latest ZDF 'Politbarometer' published on Friday, the Union's new result was an
improvement by one percent compared to previous weeks.
The
centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) remain at 15 percent, the far-right
Alternative for Germany (AfD) at nine percent, and the Left Party (die Linke)
at seven percent. The Greens lost one point, gaining 19 percent.
Meanwhile,
Merkel remains by far the most popular politician in Germany. On a scale of
plus five to minus five, she improved slightly to 2.6 points, followed by CSU
leader Markus Söder with 1.9, and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) with 1.8.
Interior
Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) gained ground and passed North Rhine-Westphalia's
state premier, Armin Laschet. The candidate for the CDU chief position lost
points slightly, landing at 0.5.
Overwhelming
majority for stricter laws for slaughterhouses
Meanwhile,
according to the survey, the vast majority of citizens in Germany are in favour
of stricter regulation of slaughterhouses, even if this results in higher
prices of meat.
A huge 92
percent of those surveyed would support stricter industry laws, according to
the ZDF poll. However, only 55 percent of those questioned believed that
citizens were generally prepared to spend more money on meat.
Following
several outbreaks of coronavirus in meat processing plants, cheap prices for
meat products in supermarkets and working conditions in industry are under
massive criticism.
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