Merkel and Pence – two worlds

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At the Munich security conference, the German Chancellor and the US Vice President have outlined their view of things: a friend of multilateralism and an advocate of American strength.

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Merkel defends multilateralism

You look differently at the world: Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Vice-President Mike Pence. President Donald Trump himself this most important international meeting on the global safety remote questions, demonstrative and thus underlines its Position of the “America First”. Merkel wants to save the multilateralism that has characterized the world since the Second world war and, ironically, especially the United States.

Whether it’s a coincidence that the recent message to the trade dispute from the USA right now is seeping through? Merkel could give you one fresh example for the departure of the United States from cooperation with its partners: The U.S. Department of Commerce has apparently come to the decision that cars from Germany are a threat. On this basis, Trump could impose new import duties. Merkel made fun of it. Many of the vehicles would be manufactured in branch plants of German corporations in the US itself: “If these cars are built in South Carolina, are suddenly a threat to the national security of the United States, then that scares us,” said the Chancellor.

The BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina

Merkel: structures not smash

Despite some ironic tips Merkel held a total of but a very serious speech. You sound like your legacy. In a Tour d’Horizon, you touched all the major issues and problems of the world, of disintegration of States through the world trade to Migration, from Russia to Iran to China. Their key message: “The structures are incredibly under pressure”, but “we can’t just smash”. You said it, not literally – but this is exactly the Smash you accused, indirectly, the United States, under President Trump.

But, and this is Merkel’s second big message: You have to stay with each in the conversation, even with the most difficult partners. And that goes for you as well as for Russia: a Geostrategic perspective, Europe could have, in spite of all the difficulties with Moscow, “have no interest in it, to sever all relations with Russia”. In this context, Merkel campaigned once again for the controversial Nord Stream gas pipeline 2 through the Baltic sea, the Russian Gas directly to Germany.

Pence: Trump has made America strong again

But exactly this project means for Pence a dangerous dependence on Russia. “We are not able to guarantee the defence of the West, if our Alliance partners from the East,” said Pence. The Vice President was quite as a number two, he led many of his sentences with “under the leadership of President Trump”.

In contrast to Merkel, who also acknowledged the failings and cautious occurred, gave Pence, a single Eulogy on the achievements of the Trump-government: economically, politically, militarily. His keywords were the renewed strength of America and the fight for freedom. Trump had often been misunderstood, so Pence. Trump does not want to turn away from the partners. He will ask something of you. But “if we are strong and United, there is nothing that we could not reach”.

In the critique: gas project Nord Stream 2

What do the allies, in addition to Trump and Pence often have very precise ideas: More defence spending, especially in Germany, he’s not referred to by name. Nord Stream 2 give up, and instead of U.S. liquefied gas to buy. From Iran-agreements to turn away, because “Iran is the largest sponsor of state terrorism in the world” and wanted a new Holocaust. And finally, the Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim President Juan Guaidó as a legitimate head of state to recognize.

Self-Confident Merkel

Merkel and Pence have less talking to each other as past each other. Their respective views of the world is shaped by their States: here, the Prime Minister a emphasized the civilian means of power, which is dependent on the balancing of interests – there is the second highest representative of a military and political great power, trying to defend your Position against old opponents such as Russia and upstarts such as China, and is used to listening to you. The Pathos of freedom and strength in Pence, careful to Convey in the case of Merkel, the Black-and-White Thinking against many shades of grey.

Have little to say: Merkel and Trump, seen here at a meeting in December 2018

However, Merkel is self-conscious. As a final word, quoted from the American Republican Lindsey Graham, who was competed in the intra-party Kandidatenkür unsuccessfully against Trump. Graham, Angela Merkel, have coined the Motto: “multi-multilateralism may be complex, but it is better than being alone at home.” It is likely to annoy Pence and Trump the will of the German Chancellor as leniency had, of all things, a politician Trumps the Republican party.