Even before he got the job, Westerwelle, who is the leader of the Free Democrats, Chancellor Angela Merkel's junior coalition partner, managed to generate major headlines with a minor gaffe. At his first, post-election press conference, Westerwelle refused to answer a question posed by a BBC journalist in English remarking that when in Germany, one should speak German. To cap it off, he glibly invited the journalist to come and have a "fabulous tea" with him outside of any press conference, at which they could happily speak English together.

The linguistic kerfuffle launched a minor political scandal and dozens of magazine and newspaper columns around Europe. Befitting the German penchant for debate, it also spurred hundreds of online arguments about Westerwelle's reaction.

But it also raised the question as to whether Westerwelle could speak English at all. And it provided yet another opportunity to lampoon a politician who has become accustomed to being portrayed as the Dan Quayle of German politics.