In her memoir, Angela Merkel reveals that she sought advice from the pope on how to handle Donald Trump after his election as U.S. president. Merkel hoped to find ways to persuade Trump, whom she viewed as having a "winner-or-loser" mentality typical of a property developer, to remain in the Paris climate accords. The excerpts, published on Wednesday evening in the German weekly Die Zeit, highlight Merkel's struggles in engaging with Trump, who she described as being particularly fascinated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other authoritarian leaders.
Angela Merkel writes in her memoir that Donald Trump approached everything "from the perspective of the property developer he was before entering politics." She explained, "Each parcel of land could only be sold once, and if he didn’t get it someone else did. That's how he saw the world." When Merkel sought advice from Pope Francis on how to deal with individuals holding "fundamentally different views," the pope immediately grasped that she was referring to Trump, particularly his intent to withdraw from the climate accords.
According to Merkel's account, Pope Francis advised her, "Bend, bend, bend, but make sure it doesn't break." When Donald Trump assumed office in 2017, Merkel was one of the longest-serving elected leaders globally and by far the most influential figure in the European Union. She had played a pivotal role in shaping Germany's and Europe's responses to major challenges, including the euro zone debt crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia's initial 2014 invasion of Ukraine.
As much of the world expressed concern over Donald Trump's presidency, Merkel's calm demeanor and her frequent references to values such as freedom and human rights led some to dub her the true "leader of the free world"—a title traditionally reserved for U.S. presidents. Written before Trump's reelection bid, Merkel's memoir conveys her "heartfelt hope" that Vice President Kamala Harris would defeat her rival. Titled Freedom: Memories 1954-2021, the book will be published in more than 30 countries on November 26. Merkel is set to launch the book in the U.S. a week later, at an event in Washington with former President Barack Obama, with whom she developed a close political relationship.
Germany's first female leader remained popular with voters until the end of her 16-year tenure, but her legacy has faced increased scrutiny. Some critics point to her government's significant reliance on Russian energy as a key factor in both Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and Germany's current economic challenges. Merkel herself has expressed no regret regarding her policies toward Russia and has maintained a low profile since leaving office.
In the published excerpts of her memoir, Merkel reflects on her numerous interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing him as someone desperate to be taken seriously. "I experienced him as someone who didn't want to be disrespected, ready to lash out at all times," she wrote. "You might find that childish and contemptible, you might shake your head at that. But it meant Russia never vanished from the map."
At one point, Merkel appears to suggest that Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine was timed to coincide with her departure from office. "You won't always be Chancellor, and then they'll join NATO," Putin said of Ukraine. "And I want to prevent that."
Merkel also noted that some Central and Eastern European leaders had been guilty of wishful thinking, adding, "They seem to want the country to just disappear, to not exist. I couldn't blame them... But Russia, heavily nuclear armed, did exist."
(Source: Reuters)
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