German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump before talks at the G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily, Italy, May 26, 2017. Guido Bergmann/Courtesy of Bundesregierung/Handout via REUTERS
Reuters: U.S. no longer a 'friend' in Merkel election program
In their campaign program for the German election, Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives have dropped the term "friend" in describing the relationship with the United States.
Four years ago, the joint program of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), referred to the United States as Germany's "most important friend" outside of Europe.
The 2013 program also described the "friendship" with Washington as a "cornerstone" of Germany's international relations and talked about strengthening transatlantic economic ties through the removal of trade barriers.
But the words "friend" and "friendship" are missing from the latest election program - entitled "For a Germany in which we live well and happily" - which Merkel and CSU leader Horst Seehofer presented on Monday ahead of a Sept. 24 election.
Read more .....
WNU Editor: I do not think most Americans (and Germans) are going to lose any sleep tonight over this change in relationship.
Posts
