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Datsche instead of “symbolism”: Merkel apparently left Biden cool

2021-09-25T10:05:34.066Z


Chancellor Merkel is said to have postponed a first call from US President Biden in January. According to one report, she first drove to her weekend home.


Chancellor Merkel is said to have postponed a first call from US President Biden in January.

According to one report, she first drove to her weekend home.

Berlin / Washington, DC - With the election of Joe Biden as US President, US international relations should improve again. The hopes were high, a lot of symbolism in the game. “We don't look back, we look into the future together,” said Biden, among other things, during his historical speech at the Munich Siko. Shortly after taking office on January 20, even more symbolism in dealing with Germany should smooth things over. But Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) should not have followed the request.

In general, the following applies in politics: Particular weight is attached to the first official acts - including the first contact with a foreign head of state or government.

For his first phone call to Europe, Biden was apparently looking for the line to Berlin: he wanted to contact Merkel on the significant first transatlantic call of his term in office.

Merkel rejects Biden: Chancellor rejects symbolism as "irrelevant"

As the

Wall Street Journal

reports, Merkel is said to have had other plans than Biden. According to the report, the call from the US was planned for a Friday afternoon. But then Merkel probably wanted to be in her country house near Berlin, where she used to relax on weekends - for example when going for a walk or tending her vegetable garden. The US newspaper cites unnamed people who are familiar with the conversation.

Merkel's adviser is even said to have told her again that if Biden refuses, she might call someone else from the European heads of government first.

The Chancellor is said to have rejected this symbolism as "irrelevant" and asked for a new date.

This took place on Monday (January 25th) - including the congratulations on the inauguration.

Biden had meanwhile contacted Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister.

Merkel will no longer run in the federal elections - Biden will soon have a new contact person in Germany

Merkel will no longer run in the upcoming general election on Sunday.

Her era as German Chancellor ends with the election of a new Chancellor.

You will then see what you enjoy, she revealed at a panel discussion in the United States.

Her successors are already in the final phase of the hot election campaign, which Merkel has already gone through four times.

(Scholz or Laschet? You can get the latest forecasts and first results in our politics newsletter.)

In her 16 years as Chancellor, Merkel went through a lot: hours of prime ministerial conferences, night meetings at EU summits, moody heads of state or varied government surveys.

A “bird invasion” just before the general election, however, completely upset them.

(cibo)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-09-25

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