Germany Seeks Closer Ties with Britain ("Was a 'prisoner' of French president")

The Telegraph ^ | February 3, 2004 | Anton La Guardia

[quidnunc]

Chancellor was a 'prisoner' of French president in 'catastrophic' opposition to war to topple Saddam

Germany is seeking to distance itself from France's tight embrace and realign itself more closely to Britain and America, senior German officials signalled yesterday.

They said the row with Washington over Iraq had been "catastrophic" for Berlin and Chancellor Gerhard Schröderhad become "a prisoner" of President Jacques Chirac's campaign to oppose the war to topple Saddam Hussein last year.

"We were more dependent on the French in that situation. But this will not be a permanent situation," said one authoritative source.

Another official explained: "We have to be careful that we are not identified with every word that the French president utters. We must have our own identity and be a little more clever."

The latest indications of Berlin's quest for a rapprochement with London and Washington came two days after Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister, abandoned Berlin's dream of creating a European federal state.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Fischer said the Iraq crisis had exposed the divisions within Europe and brought home to him the need to accept diverse traditions and history.

He even adopted some of Tony Blair's language about the need for the European Union to rest "on strong member states" rather than becoming a "superstate".

-snip-

[republicanwizard]

If I were Bush, I'd reach out to Schroeder. Schroeder knows he was wrong, and it may be asking too much of his ego to go to Bush.

Were Bush to get Germany involved in some meaningful way, it was the ultimate coup against Monsieuir Chirac.

[pissant]

might have something to do with the corruption being unearthed in France regarding Chiraq and his buddies. Flee the sinking gaulist ship.

[RAY]

Siemens USA is making a strong pitch at this time to assure US political and industrial leaders that it is an "USA Company". I think German industry knows, and the government is learning, it is not wise to jerk the giant's chain.

[lainde]

Schadenfreude bump!

[Shermy]

Germany doesn't appear on the Iraqi oil-bribe lists...but Chirac's pals do...

Bail out fast before more information comes out!

[LibWhacker]

Well, we're not so petty as to hold a grudge, Chancellor Schröder. Of course, we'll let bygones be bygones . . . Provided you march on Paris and annihilate those SOBs.

[Savage Beast]

Anybody who thought this Franco-German love affair was anything more than a one night stand was bonkers--and obviously slept through history class.

[BigWaveBetty]

Schroeder will be visiting the White House February 27.

[pfflier]

Also it would go far in debunking the concept that America was rejecting world opinion. Germany needs to publically say that toppling Hussein was the right thing to do.

[MEG33]

I agree.It was the French who travelled the world inserting the knife over and over in our back.They voted for 1441 and then acted in this manner.

France reminds me of John Kerry..who voted yes and then wemt around undermining the US by voting against funding and trashing the President.

They do operate in a like manner!

[okie01]

Recall Condoleezza Rice's purported advice to President Bush:

Forgive Russia
Ignore Germany
Punish France

Germany has now made the first move, as she suspected they eventually would.

The President will respond.

[.cnI redruM]

The thing to keep in mind here is that Germany has our back in Afghanistan. The French have done nothing for us lately.

[hc87]

In the immortal words of Jim Croce:

"You don't tug on Superman's cape,
you don't spit into the wind..."

[SandRat]

the row with Washington over Iraq had been "catastrophic" for Berlin and Chancellor Gerhard Schröderher become "a prisoner" of President Jacques Chirac's campaign to oppose the war to topple Saddam Hussein

And how many combat divisions are you sending Schröderher?

[antiantiamericans]

Shouldn't that be:
" The President won't respond." :)

[GeronL]

Shrodeor should blame his kitten

The Germans have said and done a lot of things that cannot be blamed on France over this.

[meema]

bump to read later

[ambrose]

The thing to keep in mind here is that Germany has our back in Afghanistan. The French have done nothing for us lately.

And would you like for the French to have our backs? Anywhere?

[Unam Sanctam]

Schroeder and Fischer seemed quite happy with their French love affair -- it didn't seem as though they were under any duress at all. It would take me a lot more to convince me that Germany has fundamentally changed its anti-American posture to create the EU as an opponent of the US rather than a partner. They were just talking about uniting Germany with France in a federal union; they are still talking about a separate EU defense capability to replace NATO, they still want a Franco-German engine to dictate to the rest of the EU, including all the Eastern European countries that Chirac said were so "poorly brought up" as to not be as anti-American as the French. I don't buy this English charm offensive of Fischer's.