Merkel and Obama in Washington D.C.
The former German Chancellor presented her book in the U.S. The former Ukrainian Ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, describes Merkel's memoirs as a "slap in the face of all Ukrainians"
Dear Readers,
Angela Merkel presented her memoirs (“Freedom”) in Washington D.C. and did so with a prominent guest on stage, former U.S. President Barack Obama.
As is so often the case at these events with “has-beens”, one is catapulted back to a time when (apparently) everything was better. I often think back to 2014: Germany had won the football world cup, our industry was booming and the U.S. was a reliable partner. But from today’s perspective, we know that the first cracks had already appeared. It’s just that many people didn’t see them (or didn’t want to see them).
I also spoke to Andriy Melnyk. The former Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin isn’t fond of Angela Merkel’s memoirs and describes them as “an embarrassing example of self-congratulation.” More on this at the end of the newsletter.
Merkel: “I remained a lively and carefree person”
Sold-out house at “The Anthem” in Washington DC. The local bookstore “Politics and Prose” had invited guests to the event.
At the beginning, Obama explains why Merkel will be speaking in German (there is simultaneous translation): “She is a very precise person, she wants to make sure that she gets everything right.” Laughter. Tonight will be an evening amongst friends.
Obama is a little vain at first. The former president (2009-2017) talks for five minutes before asking the first question. Then Merkel finally speaks: “A good evening from my side, too.” Dry. Very Merkel. As if nothing had ever changed.
Obama’s first question is about Merkel’s childhood in the GDR. The former Chancellor explains that the state she grew up in was a dictatorship, but that she still had a happy childhood: “I remained a lively and carefree person.”
Obama changes the subject. The discussion now revolves around science. He says: “She is all about facts and analysis.” Applause. She says: “The president is also very precise.” In a democratic system, she probably wouldn’t have studied science, Merkel says. In a dictatorship, it was different: “The law of gravity couldn’t be changed.”
“I went to the sauna”
Overall, it is a fairly chronological journey through Merkel’s life. Childhood, youth, then the fall of the Berlin Wall. “How did you feel in that moment? Excitement? Fear? Apprehension? How do you think about your own identity?”, Obama wants to know.
Merkel says that she had already come to terms with the fact that she would not live to see a united Germany: “We had made our life plans. And they didn’t include that I would experience German unification.” One of her dreams had always been to travel to the U.S. at some point, but probably as a pensioner with freedom to travel. On the day the Berlin Wall came down: “I went to the sauna first,” says Merkel.
“Remain a little humble”
Then the conversation shifts to Merkel’s rise in West German politics. The former Chancellor explains that there were suddenly options. She joined the Christian Democrats (CDU), her mother joined the Social Democrats (SPD).
At this moment, Merkel becomes a little emotional: “There is a feeling amongst some people in the West that we weren’t Germany at all.” That annoyed her. Merkel found it “incredibly outrageous” that a journalist had once written that her life in the GDR must have been a “burden” for her.
Her rise in Helmut Kohl’s CDU happened quickly. Suddenly Merkel saw herself on the evening news: “I needed a glass of wine after that.” But she also had to fight her way through. Her motto: “Remain a little humble.”
“Germany was critical”
It remains rather relaxed between Obama and Merkel on this evening. Obama retells the story of how Merkel did not allow him to speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate when he was the Democratic presidential candidate (2008).
Then the financial crisis. Obama: “Germany was critical in stabilizing the financial system. It was a complicated dance.” Merkel: “I was incredibly disappointed. The banks brought the world to the brink of the abyss with their schemes.”
“You operated very courageously”
There are questions from the audience towards the end. These were submitted in advance - Obama reads them out. The first question is about climate change.
The only moment of self-criticism from Merkel: “We have done too little on climate change.”
Then, a question on migration. Obama says: “You operated very courageously.” Big applause in the hall. Merkel tries to look to the future: “We will only be able to combat illegal migration if we deal with the countries of origin and enable legal migration.” Walls and fences will not be able to deal with this.
The next question from the audience follows on from this topic: Why do far-right forces have such a tailwind in many countries right now?
Merkel: “Those who fear for their own safety and jobs will be less tolerant of those who come to us.” She continued: “The democratic parties must seriously try to solve the problems and must not adopt the rhetoric of the far-right parties. Rhetoric alone will not solve this.”
Why freedom?
Obama concludes with the question: Why is the book actually called Freedom?
Merkel: “Freedom was something I was always looking for in the first part of my life.” She says: people often think that “freedom” means being free from something. But she has a different understanding: “My understanding of freedom is that we are empowered to do something. That has always been my motto.”
Her final sentence: “Living freedom is what I was able to do in the second 35 years of my life.”
“Embarrassing example of self-congratulation”
It would be too easy to end the newsletter at this point. That’s why it was important to me to get another view on Angela Merkel’s memoirs. A critical voice.
The former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, sharply criticized the former German chancellor’s book. The diplomat, who now works in Brazil, told me: “The autobiography is nothing more than an embarrassing example of self-congratulation.” Melnyk continued:
“The fact that Angela Merkel, even three years after leaving politics, is still unable to admit her cardinal mistakes in her Russia policy, is a slap in the face of all Ukrainians.”
For Melnyk, the supposed “infallibility” of Angela Merkel in particular is “scandalous” and “very dangerous for the future.” The ambassador explained: “Without an honest reappraisal of the serious mistakes made in relation to Putin’s Russia, there is an increased risk that Germany will fall into the same Moscow trap.”
In conclusion, Melnyk described the book as a “self-praise memoir without any pinch of self-criticism” and did not recommend reading it: “Hands off the Merkel book. A blatant miss.”
Melnyk also asked the question: “If Merkel’s Russia course had been so brilliant and ingenious, why the hell did Putin feel encouraged to attack Ukraine in this barbaric dimension?”
Harsh words. But are they justified in essence? I look forward to your feedback.
Philipp Sandmann