When the difficult tasks that politicians pretend to be working on actually turn out to be much more difficult than originally thought, something else should be done. As far as the NSA affair is concerned, the new, old German foreign minister has just done exactly that.
Frank Walter Steinmeier’s calm, confident and motivated appearance in Washington finally signifies the end of the German desire for a treaty-based renunciation of espionage activities.
Instead, a council should discuss the differences in the ways that the two countries deal with the private sphere, data security and protecting against threats. Along with the floppy hats, civil society should have a seat at the table. One could call that bowing to Uncle Sam — or realpolitik. For a long time, Steinmeier suspected that the U.S. would not deliver a no-spy treaty. Nevertheless, his initiative for a “cyberdialogue” is more than a smart diversion.
The trans-Atlantic alliance nostalgically conjured up by the postwar generation is leaving today’s young people cold. Coming to a mutual understanding on both sides of the Atlantic regarding how to best solve global problems ranging from environmental protection to terrorism can end the alienation. Steinmeier is just the right man for the job when it comes to rejuvenating the international partnership. The end of the “culture of ignorance,” celebrated by his predecessor, Guido Westerwelle, has been thankfully received in Washington.
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