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'They're Not Getting any Warmer': Merkel Faces Difficult Talks in Washington - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is traveling to Washington this week to discuss the financial crisis and climate change with US President Barack Obama -- two issues where Germany and the US are deeply divided. In the new world order, Europe is looking increasingly irrelevant for the US.

When US President Barack Obama recently met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Dresden, he did something completely unexpected in the middle of their conversation: He deviated from the program.

When high-ranking politicians meet, the program is one of the most important elements. It includes the agenda and the things a politician is expected to say. Chancellors and presidents like to stick to a program, because it gives them security.

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jun 23rd, 2009 at 03:37:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Chancellors and presidents like to stick to a program, because it gives them security.

In Dresden, Obama remained true to the program at first. But then he unexpectedly asked "Angela" why, exactly, she didn't want Turkey to be accepted into the European Union.

Merkel was taken aback. She had to think on her feet and quickly come up with an answer for an issue on which she had no pre-prepared comments.

Yes, becuase she would not be able to talk about Tuky membership without pre-prepared remarks, as the topic has never come up before... She's so dumb and ... European.


The prosperity and well-being of ordinary people are more threatened than they have been in a long time, and yet Germany and its most important partner seem unable to agree on a common course.

Yes, Germany's most important partner is the USA. Right.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Jun 23rd, 2009 at 04:20:49 PM EST
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