The dispute between Germany's conservative Christian Democrats and left-leaning Social Democrats over what foreign and security policy strategy to follow reveals a deep divide between the partners in Angela Merkel's government. Neither side can impose its will on the other, resulting in gridlock and crippling Germany's influence in the world. Who's in charge of Germany's foreign policy? When it comes to dealings abroad, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel often speak with very different voices. George W. Bush has given up. He is tired of and no longer sees any sense in talking to a wall. The wall in this case is conservative German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats (CDU). The United States president has stopped asking her to send additional troops to fight in southern Afghanistan. In the course of long conversations with the German chancellor, Bush has learned that there are simply political limits to what she can do. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has also had to come to terms with the reality that she can't take the kinds of decisions he would like to see without risking a breakup of her "unstable" coalition government. There are also many in Merkel's junior coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), whose patience is wearing thin. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier finds himself explaining to senior party officials one day and to members of his parliamentary group the next why his efforts to engage in a dialogue with Syria, conduct negotiations with Russia or promote an opening towards Cuba are not moving forward. "What good do my proposals do if I can't get any backing from the Christian Democrats," Steinmeier complained to one SPD source.
The dispute between Germany's conservative Christian Democrats and left-leaning Social Democrats over what foreign and security policy strategy to follow reveals a deep divide between the partners in Angela Merkel's government. Neither side can impose its will on the other, resulting in gridlock and crippling Germany's influence in the world.
Who's in charge of Germany's foreign policy? When it comes to dealings abroad, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel often speak with very different voices. George W. Bush has given up. He is tired of and no longer sees any sense in talking to a wall. The wall in this case is conservative German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats (CDU). The United States president has stopped asking her to send additional troops to fight in southern Afghanistan. In the course of long conversations with the German chancellor, Bush has learned that there are simply political limits to what she can do. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has also had to come to terms with the reality that she can't take the kinds of decisions he would like to see without risking a breakup of her "unstable" coalition government.
There are also many in Merkel's junior coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), whose patience is wearing thin. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier finds himself explaining to senior party officials one day and to members of his parliamentary group the next why his efforts to engage in a dialogue with Syria, conduct negotiations with Russia or promote an opening towards Cuba are not moving forward. "What good do my proposals do if I can't get any backing from the Christian Democrats," Steinmeier complained to one SPD source.
crippling Germany's influence in the world
Economicially Germany is still one of the most powerful and influential industrial nations in the world, let alone europe. In terms of influence, trade is still its mighty diplomatic tool and with this it speaks louder than nearly everybody.
What influence is crippled ?
George W. Bush has given up....The United States president has stopped asking her to send additional troops to fight in southern Afghanistan
Ah, so according to this neoconpoop, influence in the world consists of donning the leaden anchor of subservience to American Imperialism. No wonder he's all of a fluster. If he loves the US so much, why doesn't he just bugger off there and then we'd all be happy ? keep to the Fen Causeway
Wikipedia: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ellemann-Jensen doctrine is a Danish idea specifically aimed at promoting small countries' ability to gain influence in the world order. The doctrine is not a written document but rather inspired by the former Danish Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen's term of office in which he promoted the notion that a small country can gain influence by supporting those greater countries that share the same values and ideas, which the small country itself embraces. Uffe Ellemann-Jensen led the European recognition of the renewed independence of the three Baltic countries in 1991, when Denmark was the first country to re-establish diplomatic relations with the three countries.
The Ellemann-Jensen doctrine is a Danish idea specifically aimed at promoting small countries' ability to gain influence in the world order.
The doctrine is not a written document but rather inspired by the former Danish Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen's term of office in which he promoted the notion that a small country can gain influence by supporting those greater countries that share the same values and ideas, which the small country itself embraces.
Uffe Ellemann-Jensen led the European recognition of the renewed independence of the three Baltic countries in 1991, when Denmark was the first country to re-establish diplomatic relations with the three countries.
And it is likely that, like Japan, its disinclination to become involved in military corporate wars and the pointless holes in the ground into which national treasure is shovelled in the name of Political Penis competitions has, in no small measure, contributed to that economic success. keep to the Fen Causeway
Otherwise you are "French" (ie treasonous and irrelevant - they wish) In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
