(h) Jesco Denze v Federal Government
Angela Merkel, Shinzo Abe, Emmanuel Macron, Theresa May et al face Donald Trump during the 2018 G7 summit.
In a new memoir, the former German Chancellor devastates Donald Trump, detailing her difficulties in diplomatic relations with the former North American President and her fascination with politicians with dictatorial traits.
Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of Germany and leading figure in European politics, is raising the curtain on her experiences with Donald Trump during his first term in the White House.
In a new biography, excerpts of which were published in the German weekly, Merkel shares reflections on Trump’s worldview, her fascination with Vladimir Putin and the challenges of dealing with the impetuous American President.
“He judged everything real estate entrepreneur’s perspective that had been before politics. Each property could only be assigned once. If he didn’t get it, someone else would. That was also how he saw the world”, says the former Chancellor of Germany.
Merkel also emphasizes that, for Trump, “all countries were in competition with each other, in which the One man’s success was another’s failure“. “He did not believe that everyone’s prosperity could be increased through cooperation”, he points out.
The former chancellor admits that dealing with Trump was such a challenge that she sought advice from an unlikely source: the Papa Francisco. During a period when Trump was threatening to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, Merkel recalls asking the Pope how to manage significant ideological differences within a group of influential leaders.
“He understood me immediately and answered me directly: ‘Fold, fold, fold, but make sure it doesn’t break‘”, says Merkel. Merkel took the advice, repeating it to herself as she sought to reach compromises during her negotiations with Trump.
Merkel also recalls her first meeting with Trump at the White House in March 2017, describing him as a clash of styles and priorities. “We talked on two different levels. Trump on an emotional level, me on a factual level. When he paid attention to my arguments, it was usually just to build new accusations based on them”, he ponders.
“When I flew home, I didn’t have a good feeling”, admits Merkel. His first impressions turned out to be prophetic: “There would be no joint work for a networked world with Trump”, he laments.
The former chancellor also comments on the controversial relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, detailing the American’s apparent fascination with the President of Russia. “Donald Trump asked me a series of questions, including about my East German origins and my relationship with Putin. He was obviously very fascinated by the Russian President”, he thinks.
Over time, Merkel observed a pattern in Trump’s behavior: “In the years that followed, I had the impression that politicians with autocratic and dictatorial characteristics captivated him.”
