Merkel’s American Dream

Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the American fight for freedom, especially in regards to the fall of the Berlin Wall, in her speech before the U.S. Congress. However, there was also a more difficult topic present.

The overture already signaled how Merkel’s speech would be taken by the American public: the overarching theme, a proud look back on America’s helping hand in German reunification twenty years ago, resounded throughout the speech. The chancellor had more trouble finding an audience for her second main theme — her wish for the U.S. to sign a substantial environmental protection treaty at the climate summit in four weeks in Copenhagen.

At 9:15 AM on Tuesday morning, a loose and smiling President Obama greeted the chancellor in the Oval Office of the White House and congratulated her on her upcoming speech before both chambers of Congress. Only one other chancellor, Konrad Adenauer in May 1957, has had this honor before. Obama praised Merkel as an “extraordinarily strong ally” and said she plays “a large role” in international politics. He explained how she experienced the [East German] dictatorship herself, which led her to appreciate the idea so important to America — victory of freedom over Communism. Merkel responded in German that she was thankful for the honor and looked forward to exchanging ideas about climate change policy, Afghanistan and Iran. The translation took some time and, in the pause, Obama said: “I think what she said was good.” The translation was disturbed a bit by laughter.

No one is asking if the relationship between Merkel and Obama is merely cordial like her last visit in June. Their body language shows that they understand each other. Their formulations reveal that both know what is expected from the other. Obama knows that climate change is important for Merkel and that she cannot promise any more German soldiers for the war in Afghanistan. She understands that for the U.S., healthcare reform and Afghanistan are higher priorities than climate change — and that Obama can make no international pacts without the approval of Congress.

A good hour later, America’s democracy showed as much pomp as it is able to. Representatives and senators gathered in Congress, the Diplomatic Corps marched into the room ceremonially under the watchful eyes of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Joe Biden, who also serves as the head of the Senate. Pelosi personally invited Merkel to make the speech; political female power plays on both sides of the Atlantic.

Merkel is decked out in solemn black, which is only loosened up through a white triangle formed by the v-shaped cutout of her jacket. A majority of her speech is an elegy on German-American history since 1945, including a good portion of pathos very atypical of the German leader. She thanked the U.S. for freeing the Germans from the Nazi dictatorship, protecting Germany from Soviet pressure during the Berlin Airlift, Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech and Reagan’s demand of “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” In the audience sat, at Merkel’s request, Fritz Stern. He, a Jew who fled Germany, and she, the East German whose relatives in the West smuggled banned books and blue jeans across the border, are, in her speech, living evidence of the will for freedom of the U.S. and the strength of the American Dream. She constantly earned applause.

With these remarks, the tone was set and the ears of the audience opened up for the actual topics at hand: peace in the Middle East, stopping the Iranian nuclear program, Afghanistan, and economic adjustments needed in dealing with developing nations and emerging markets. Right at the end she touched on climate. Damage to the earth is today’s Berlin Wall, which needs to be torn down though international cooperation. Her expectations of the U.S. were delivered through praise: she knows that President Obama holds the climate change issue close to his heart. Congress applauded heartily. When he will be ready to deal with it, however, is another question.