Trump, Macron and election - what prompted Merkel's blunt Munich speech

[webfact]

Trump, Macron and election - what prompted Merkel's blunt Munich speech

By Noah Barkin

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L), Christine Lagarde (2-L), head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and French President Emmanuel Macron (R) at the G7 Summit expanded session in Taormina, Sicily, Italy May 27, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - For German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who often pulls her rhetorical punches, her weekend message signalling a shift in the post-war order was uncharacteristically blunt.

 

But growing frustration with U.S. President Donald Trump, a determination to reform Europe with France's incoming leader and political considerations closer to home convinced Merkel to take a stand, senior German and European officials said.

 

Speaking in a packed beer tent in Munich on Sunday, after a Group of Seven summit in Sicily and a NATO meeting in Brussels - both dominated by tensions with Trump - Merkel spoke with surprising frankness.

 

"The times when we could fully count on others are over to a certain extent. I have experienced this in the last few days," Merkel said.

 

"We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands, of course in friendship with the United States, in friendship with Great Britain, with other neighbours wherever possible, also with Russia," she continued.

 

"But we must know that we need to fight for our future ourselves, as Europeans, for our destiny."

 

The fact that Merkel reiterated many of her points on Monday showed it was no accident.

 

Below are some of the factors which may have prompted Merkel to make her remarks. They are based on conversations with German and European officials, who declined to be named.

 

LOOMING ELECTION

 

Merkel's conservatives have built up a comfortable double-digit lead over their main rivals, the Social Democrats (SPD), in opinion polls ahead of a German election on Sept. 24.

 

But there are increasing signs that her opponents could be tempted to run an anti-Trump campaign that paints Merkel as being too soft on the president.

 

The SPD have made clear they will resist pressure from Trump for Germany to ramp up defence spending, another issue that resonates well with German voters. Merkel has supported higher spending despite the political risks.

 

By making clear that Germany may have to distance itself from Trump, she is protecting her domestic flank and reframing the defence spending issue: no longer is it about fulfilling Trump's wishes, but about building a European defence capacity independent of the United States.

 

Merkel hosts a G20 summit in Hamburg in early July. Until now, her approach has been to try to shepherd the Trump administration towards a consensus on major issues like free trade, climate change and migration.

 

But the G7 summit showed that this strategy may not work.

 

By shifting rhetoric now, she is effectively acknowledging that she can't guarantee a positive outcome in Hamburg, and by singling out America, reduces the risk of being blamed for a G20 failure two months before the German vote.

 

MACRON

 

Merkel would not have made her remarks before Emmanuel Macron's victory in the French election earlier this month, German officials said.

 

A like-minded pro-European and multilateralist, Macron gives Merkel a reliable partner with whom she can move forward in Europe on issues like defence and security cooperation, migration and euro zone reform.

 

German officials described the dynamic between the two at the G7 summit as excellent.

 

Merkel is also signalling to conservatives in her party who are deeply sceptical about some of Macron's bolder ideas for the euro zone that they must be prepared to compromise.

 

"She is using the Trump moment to articulate a more pro-European policy," one German official said. "She is testing the waters for a more forthcoming policy towards France."

 

Her message was also directed at Britain. Berlin fears the British government still has unrealistic expectations about Brexit.

 

FRUSTRATION WITH TRUMP

 

Merkel's message in Munich was the product of rising frustration with Trump, whose first visit to Europe was deeply disturbing to the Germans, according to several officials.

 

The frustrations began in Brussels when Trump renewed his attack on Germany's trade surplus and car exports in a private meeting with EU officials.

 

They grew at NATO when Trump repeated statements about members of the alliance owing vast amounts of money. His failure to voice clear support for NATO's mutual defence doctrine, Article 5, and to evoke Russia as NATO's prime threat also irked Berlin and other allies.

 

At the G7 summit, the six other nations were at odds with Trump on climate change and migration. Beyond policy issues, his shoving of the Montenegrin prime minister and macho handshakes with Macron deepened the scepticism.

 

"Trump may have listened, but what the trip showed is that he may not be capable of learning," a second German official said.

Merkel described the climate discussion in Sicily as "very dissatisfying".

 

Trump's refusal to give allies any indication of whether he would stay in the Paris climate agreement left a bad taste.

 

As he left Sicily, he sent a tweet saying he would make a decision on the Paris accord this week.

 

Merkel's speech in Munich could be seen as a reminder to Trump that the decision will have real implications for his relationship with Berlin and other partners, officials said.

 

(Writing by Noah Barkin; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-30

[darksidedog]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

"Trump may have listened, but what the trip showed is that he may not be capable of learning," a second German official said.

Merkel described the climate discussion in Sicily as "very dissatisfying".

And this from a meeting Trump thought had been a resounding success! It seems that everything he did was in actual fact a disaster.

Donald may be able to fool the US press, but clearly Europeans see right through him and understand he is not a man you can rely on or trust.

[boomerangutang]

                                  I agree with Merkel.  On several levels, German and EU leaders can not rely much on the US being led by Trump.   Loose-lips Trump is the loosest of cannons.  He doesn't know what he believes, he doesn't know history or how gov't works. He changes hour to hour.   One of a thousand examples:  One minute he said he was in favor of criminalizing women who seek abortions - an  hour later he denied saying that.  He's changed his ideas on the wall, on drug policy, on what the US Navy is doing, on N.Korea, on sharing top-secret data with Russians, etc ad nauseum.  It's hard to find anything Trump has done right.  

[johna]

German leaders shock and horror on discovering America is not part of the EU

[phantomfiddler]

No-one likes to be told that they have a large bill that has not been paid. Why should America have to foot the bills of other nations ?

[Salerno]

It doesn't.

 

[darksidedog]

11 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

No-one likes to be told that they have a large bill that has not been paid. Why should America have to foot the bills of other nations ?

Given that NATO does not have a billing system, could you be so kind as to explain these fictitious bills that haven't been paid?

I mean how much, who owes what, who is really behind on payments?

I suspect you will have a problem doing so, as they are but a figment of imagination within a very small mind, that once repeated often enough, lead the gullible into believing things that are untrue to be otherwise.

Only after 2024 is there any requirement for any NATO member to spend a minimum amount, 2% of GDP.

Obviously, if you can find and post a credible link to support your overdue bill fantasy, please do so.

And by credible, I mean a statistic detailing the bills, not just a quote from Donald that most of us know is wholly untrue.

[sanukjim]

1 hour ago, johna said:

German leaders shock and horror on discovering America is not part of the EU

Hay EU ,Wake up to a new world.Pay for your own defense and economic failures.The US and The UK are no longer to be your major money sources.

[terryw]

Merkel cannot reform the EU for the next 2 years unless the UK agrees. The UK still has veto powers to stop any major constitutional changes.

[maewang99]

Macron should have squeezed Trump's hand until his arm fell off.

 

[kamahele]

So Russia has gotten what she wanted. Trump has driven a wedge between the US and her allies in Europe. Good job Putin.....

Edited May 30, 2017 by kamahele

[ResandePohm]

2 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

No-one likes to be told that they have a large bill that has not been paid. Why should America have to foot the bills of other nations ?

Other Nations are not using their military to attack other countries like the US and therefore do not need to spend billions on their Armed Forces which are only for defending their own territory. These Nations spend what they feel is necessary to fulfill the roles of their own Military. NATO was designed for the defence of Europe not for attacking Iraq, Syria, Afganistan and soon NK etc.

[sgracer]

what an immature nut job this trump is..........displaying his inadequacies for all the world to see

[Usernames]

28 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and 72 years after VE Day and the Germans finally may be forced to pay for their own defense. No wonder Beer Belly Merkel was soused up at that Beer Garden and raging against the US, the UK and Trump.

[spidermike007]

Cheeto is an abysmal failure so far. Nearly everything he has touched, has turned to crap. Of course, this silly circus jester likes to frame things in a resoundly successful manner. But, anyone except his hardiest devotees tends to see right through that nonsense. And then he tends to resort to his fake media narrative, to deflect the huge degree of criticism that he rightly deserves.

 

The European leaders tend to be very well educated, very cultured, very classy, and very well read. Something Cheeto can only dream about, with his complete lack of intellectual curiosity, and his mental sloth. They are right. They cannot count on the US anymore. Nobody can. The policy shifts and changes from one day to the next. There does not appear to be a single competent soul in the White House, except perhaps the janitorial team, the cooks, and the secret service, and armed forces surrounding this fool, trying to keep him alive, as he alienates more of the planet on a daily basis, with his ill informed, hateful, racist, white supremacy adolescent nonsense.

Edited May 30, 2017 by spidermike007

[pegman]

2 hours ago, terryw said:

Merkel cannot reform the EU for the next 2 years unless the UK agrees. The UK still has veto powers to stop any major constitutional changes.

May has zero leverage and had better start wearing her knee pads when meeting EU leaders. Cheeto Trump should quit  NATO before he gets booted. 

[fvw53]

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Given that NATO does not have a billing system, could you be so kind as to explain these fictitious bills that haven't been paid?

I mean how much, who owes what, who is really behind on payments?

I suspect you will have a problem doing so, as they are but a figment of imagination within a very small mind, that once repeated often enough, lead the gullible into believing things that are untrue to be otherwise.

Only after 2024 is there any requirement for any NATO member to spend a minimum amount, 2% of GDP.

Obviously, if you can find and post a credible link to support your overdue bill fantasy, please do so.

And by credible, I mean a statistic detailing the bills, not just a quote from Donald that most of us know is wholly untrue.

Reading this I conclude that there are indeed Forum members who can think or do fact checks before they write 

[puck2]

4 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

No-one likes to be told that they have a large bill that has not been paid. Why should America have to foot the bills of other nations ?

It's just the opposite. Why should Germany pay for USA-fabricated wars, i.e. in Iraq. The money consequences of this war are still working on the budgets of those warrior countries. That means, they make their so-called "defence-budgets" higher than necessary.

And we are not sure if cheeto Trump will try another war with IRAN.

[Caps]

4 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

No-one likes to be told that they have a large bill that has not been paid. Why should America have to foot the bills of other nations ?

whats this so called big bill that needs playing?

 

Please don't bore us all by saying NATO, do some research and I think you will find the 2% is not due to come in untill 2024, then you can moan about it 

[Caps]

2 hours ago, Usernames said:

28 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and 72 years after VE Day and the Germans finally may be forced to pay for their own defense. No wonder Beer Belly Merkel was soused up at that Beer Garden and raging against the US, the UK and Trump.

Who's been paying their defence then?  I am sure they are already paying for their own defence and contributing to NATO

Edited May 30, 2017 by Caps

[puck2]

4 hours ago, sanukjim said:

Hay EU ,Wake up to a new world.Pay for your own defense and economic failures.The US and The UK are no longer to be your major money sources.

Reading this comment you understand why a completely incompetent, unintelligent, egomaniac liar has won the job of the POTUS.

Some intelligent people told me that there was a subprime loan crises in the USA - starting 2007/2008 - caused by criminal behavior of US banksters. . The US and the UK nearly got bankrupt in 2010.

Is the 21.x trillion budget failure  (in 2017) caused by the EU or partly by some self fabricated wars and its consequences??? And with this budget failure the USA will be no longer "your (=EU) mayor money source?" Tell me more fairy tales.

Following your intention Germany and other EU states should pay for the US (defense) budget catastrophe caused by fabricated wars?

 

Edited May 30, 2017 by puck2

[Usernames]

Germans were so cheap they used broomsticks instead of real guns on Nato exercises.  http://www.newsweek.com/germany-cant-explain-use-broomstick-instead-guns-nato-exercise-307902

[oxo1947]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

"We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands, of course in friendship with the United States, in friendship with Great Britain, with other neighbours wherever possible, also with Russia," she continued.

 

"But we must know that we need to fight for our future ourselves, as Europeans, for our destiny."

On the other hand....paying the 2% ---(what you should have been doing anyway) might be the cheaper option....................

[puck2]

2 hours ago, Usernames said:

28 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and 72 years after VE Day and the Germans finally may be forced to pay for their own defense. No wonder Beer Belly Merkel was soused up at that Beer Garden and raging against the US, the UK and Trump.

I think a speech of  "Beer Belly Merkel soused up"  is a lot more true and reasonable than any of brainless Trump. It's a pity that this liar destroys the Atlantic relationship without any reasonable strategy and diplomacy. Involuntarily he forces the EU to plan its own future. 

[dunroaming]

The USA is experiencing serious damage caused by Trump and the rot should be stopped as soon as possible.  With Macron now in place, Europe and the EU will not only survive but I suspect strengthen it's position.  May's Brexit will become even harder with her stupidly trying to sit on the fence over Trump, it's way past embarrassing now.

 

I applauded May becoming Prime Minister at the time as she seemed like the best of a bad job.  Then she appointed Johnson as foreign secretary and it became obvious that I had got it completely wrong.  Dark times indeed!

[Thaidream]

As an American, I am appalled by the behavior and ignorance of Donald Trump. Just when I think it can't get any worse- Trump does it again.  The Us has the largest military budget in the World at $632 Billion and Trump is increasing it another $52 Billion. At the same time, America has no universal Healthcare; has not increased elderly pensions for 2 years;  Trump wants to cut social welfare programs for the poorest Americans- yet he lectures the Europeans over raising their military budgets to 2% of GDP. Does he really think Europe is going to do this by cutting out healthcare and their social programs?  Trump needs to get a grip on reality and the power NATO (in Europe) brings to the table.

 

In addition, Trump publicly calls out Europe so Russia can see the discord that they so gladly helped create by meddling in elections. American doctrine towards Europe has always been to support NATO- so as to fight any Russian intervention on European soil which allows America to build the war weapons that would be needed in a Russian invasion. Trump is not only ignorant and incompetent but lacks any form of diplomatic stature.

 

It is beginning to look like Trump is using Russian foreign policy to guide America's foreign policy. I wonder when Comrade Trump will sit down with Comrade Putin to plot the next scene.It's no wonder President Obama still commands the respect of most Europeans. At least when Obama spoke- it was a reliable dialog with no hidden agenda.

[JHolmesJr]

7 hours ago, Usernames said:

28 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and 72 years after VE Day and the Germans finally may be forced to pay for their own defense. No wonder Beer Belly Merkel was soused up at that Beer Garden and raging against the US, the UK and Trump.

she seems to be open to spending a fortune on ungrateful refugees….but not her country's defence.

[JHolmesJr]

27 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

At least when Obama spoke- it was a reliable dialog with no hidden agenda.

 

Merkel made a high error in sitting down with private citizen obama to discuss global issues just before trump flew in.

 

she dissed him big time. i knew it was gonna be game over after that.

[sanukjim]

4 hours ago, Caps said:

Who's been paying their defence then?  I am sure they are already paying for their own defence and contributing to NATO

The US is the largest contributor.

[Caps]

4 minutes ago, sanukjim said:

The US is the largest contributor.

Not to the German Defence spending, maybe to NATO Defence spending, but that is there fault, they don't need to spend the 2% agreement till 2024