Merkel and Obama 'More Similar than They Like to Admit'

Merkel and Obama 'More Similar than They Like to Admit'

US-German relations have soured in recent months, a development Barack Obama tried to remedy this week with a glittering state reception for Chancellor Angela Merkel. German commentators on Thursday take stock of the American president's efforts and the message behind them.

United States President Barack Obama welcomed Angela Merkel for a two-day state visit this week that included awarding the German chancellor America's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom. He also lavished her with praise, calling her journey from growing up in communist East Germany to becoming the first woman to lead Germany an "inspiration." Ahead of the visit, he also described her as "a good friend and one of my closest global partners."

While the celebratory state banquets, military salutes and ceremonial appearances were impressive, they did not come without expectations. Both leaders attempted to overcome the strained relations, sometimes appearing uncomfortable. Obama was also clear about what he expects -- for Germany to step up and do its part in facing some major diplomatic challenges around the world.

While the Greece debt crisis is the European Union's foremost concern, it also threatens to further destabilize the fragile US economy, and German "leadership" in solving the problem is essential, Obama said.

Germany will also be expected to take on a major role in Libya -- a source of serious diplomatic tensions between Washington and Berlin. In recent months, the US and other NATO partners were miffed when Germany abstained from the United Nations vote to intervene in Libya and refused to take part in military operations. While Obama thanked Merkel for increasing German support in Afghanistan, allowing other NATO members to contribute to operations in the North African country, he indicated Merkel should spearhead efforts at rebuilding the country after dictator Moammar Gadhafi steps down. For her part, the German chancellor took the conciliatory step of agreeing that Germany would take on a greater role in a post-Gadhafi Libya.

German commentators Thursday reviewed the implications of the visit, saying Obama's expectations were clear, but questioning whether his gestures could ease a trans-Atlantic relationship that has lately become frayed at the edges.

The weekly Die Zeit writes:

"Sometimes praise is harder to bear than criticism. ... Those who give praise expect something in return. And those who accept praise soon find themselves faced with the expectation that they behave accordingly."

"Obama showered Germany and the chancellor with praise. Germany is a global leader. It is at the center of Europe and the key to everything the US wants to achieve abroad. But some would reject this: We don't want to be that important."

"He lauded Angela Merkel as a 'good friend and one of my closest global partners.' He marveled at her life story, saying she embodied the promise of freedom and is an inspiration to people around the world."

"What a contrast to her image in Germany! That is why many will shrug this off as flattery or a refined strategy for extracting concessions."

"But what if Germans open up and listen impartially and listen to how the most powerful man in the world sees them and their chancellor? Obama didn't exaggerate … Don't hide behind your history, said the president. Act in accordance with your importance."

"Naturally Obama wants to provoke something with the praise, though it's nothing scurrilous. It's the general assumption of more German responsibility, especially in the Arab world and Libya right now. ... As in 1989, it's about more freedom. Obama trusts the Germans. That's no reason to be dismayed."

The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

"The relationship between Merkel's Germany and Obama's America was never really bad or plagued by distrust. In fact, the chancellor and the president are more similar than they would probably like to admit. But these relations have changed -- indeed, none of Obama's relationships with other countries work according to the traditional model. Obama doesn't surround himself with his favorites in the way his predecessor George W. Bush did, a man who viewed people as only friends or enemies. Obama is a modern super realist who has one thing in sight -- the situation in his own country, where things aren't going well. America is overwhelmed as a force of global order."

"Obama doesn't need admirers -- he needs modern allies who can take work off his hands. America's new friends are not the tagalongs from the old alliance days, but the problem solvers of today. One shouldn't count the firecrackers in front of the White House, but rather the number of political projects that could bring together the common interests of America, a superpower, and Germany, the engine of Europe's economy."

"Because this is what Obama and Merkel have learned in this era of super realists: Those who allow themselves to be divided (think Libya) lose. Friendship no longer arises out of pure loyalty to alliances, but through talking with each other -- and delivering in the end."

The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes:

"It is rarely a good sign for a relationship when one has to dig deep into the past and peer far into the future to demonstrate some semblance of a convincing harmony. ... But an artful performance isn't enough if conflicts are too obvious to ignore."

"The interests are no longer as congruent as they were between Western Europe and the US during the Cold War. That's why minor differences of opinion that already existed before have gained significance. That comes out with Libya, for instance, but also with the Greece crisis, where debt rescheduling with the involvement of private creditors also threatens US investment banks."

"Against this background it's necessary to take a verbal inventory with the aim of defining tangible similarities. They exist, but they need to be named. And the same goes for differences in interests. Otherwise all claims of friendship seem stale. And a shiny medal can't change that."

The financial daily Handelsblatt writes:

"The excessive American hospitality this week comes with a crystal clear agenda. The US wants Germany to take responsibility on a number of points -- as financier of reconstruction in the Arab world, as an anchor of stability in the euro turbulence and as a political heavy lifter in the Middle East."

"The pragmatic Americans quickly realized the advantages that arose from Germany's surprising abstention on the Libya vote. Berlin's veering off course, which caused consternation among the career diplomats in the State Department, paves the way for compensation measures. Obama makes no secret of this."

"In turn, Washington has avoided public criticism of Germany's decision to go its own way, instead building bridges. Germany couldn't have been more easily forgiven for its faux pas."

-- Kristen Allen