Merkel brings message of stability to US on farewell visit
GERMAN CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel left on Wednesday for Washington on what is likely to be her last official visit , carrying a bag full of issues to discuss with President Joe Biden and an overarching message for Berlin’s close ally: you’ve got a friend.
The veteran German leader is expected to discuss the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the rise of China, and a Russian gas pipeline that Washington opposes, during her meetings on Thursday with Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris and other senior US officials.
“In part, this is a farewell visit; in part, she is signalling continuity and stability in the German-US relationship,” said Johannes Timm, a senior fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, a think tank in Berlin.
After 16 years dealing with Merkel, many officials in Washington and elsewhere are wondering what course Germany might take after the next election, and the long-time chancellor – who has dealt with four US presidents in her time – will seek to reassure them that there won’t be a huge shift, he said.
Merkel’s party is leading in the polls ahead of Germany’s September 26 election, but the environmentalist Greens and the centre-left Social Democrats are also vying to lead a future government. While the three parties differ in many policy areas, all are committed to a strong transatlantic relationship.
One sour note that preceded and outlasted the Trump era of diplomatic discord with Washington has been the thorny issue of a new pipeline bringing natural gas from Russia to Germany.
The United States has long argued that the Nord Stream 2 project threatens European energy security and harms allies in Eastern Europe. But Biden recently waived looming sanctions against German entities involved in the project, signalling a possible compromise may be found.