London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 06, 2025

US election 2020: Why it matters so much to Germans

US election 2020: Why it matters so much to Germans

Panting into the cold night air, the Berlin Thunderbirds are training hard, steam rising from their helmets and padded shoulders.

American sport, culture and, many would say, values pump through the veins of Germany. Which is why so many people here - including the players tackling each other with enthusiasm - are also keeping a close eye on the upcoming US presidential election.

"You're kind of like a bystander," says Christoph, a quarterback. "You have no influence but in the end it does influence you."

To stroll under reddening trees through the small market which stands on Berlin's Kennedy Platz is to get a glimpse of how closely Germany and America have been bound, how deeply rooted the transatlantic relationship.


President Kennedy was given a warm welcome in Berlin


Beyond the stalls packed with pumpkins and flowers, looms the impressive stone edifice of Rathaus Schoeneberg where, nearly 60 years ago, John F Kennedy told a wildly cheering crowd packed deep into the neighbouring streets, "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner").

Ute, who was a child at the time, pauses as she buys fruit to explain why today there's so little enthusiasm among Germans for the current American commander-in-chief.

"For my generation - born after the second world war - Americans were a great example of freedom and democracy. That's ended with Trump."


American football players in Berlin say they are watching the US election closely


President Trump - who once claimed he'd charmed Angela Merkel - remains deeply unpopular in Germany. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that Germany rates the US president particularly unfavourably.

For her part, the German chancellor has never warmed to President Trump's style or his politics. She was openly dismayed by his dismissive attitude towards Nato, his withdrawal from the Paris agreement on climate change, and his rejection of the Iran nuclear agreement.

The lack of personal chemistry between the leaders has been in stark contrast to the relationship Mrs Merkel developed with Barack Obama. It's no secret in Berlin that the government has struggled to replicate the same level of co-operation with the Trump administration.

But Mrs Merkel won't be dealing with the White House for much longer. Germany is looking ahead to its own significant election.


The body language between Merkel and Trump tells a thousand words


Norbert Roettgen, who chairs the German foreign affairs committee, is one of the candidates hoping to replace Mrs Merkel when she stands down next year.

"The four years of the Trump presidency have meant that everything, very fundamentally, has been called into question. The very existence of Nato, the predictability of US foreign policy. It has been a disruption which we haven't seen since World War Two."

He, like many in Berlin, fears that another term for President Trump could do irreparable damage to the transatlantic relationship.

"We are concerned. I'm totally convinced that the prospect of another four years would not only mean that we're going to see more of the same, but I'm quite certain we would see an acceleration of everything we've experienced.

"Because then President Trump would not be under the pressure to be re-elected. He would be unshackled."


Who really decides the US election?


It took many in Berlin by surprise that the president of a country long considered an ally, a military and trading partner, has singled out Germany as a target for such fierce and sustained criticism.

There've been clashes over defence spending (Germany is increasing expenditure but still falls short of the 2% GDP target agreed with Nato), Germany's trade surplus with the US, and the construction of the controversial Nordstream 2 pipeline which will double the amount of Russian gas entering Europe via Germany.

But it was President Trump's decision to reduce the number of US troops stationed in Germany which perhaps most potently symbolised the depths to which the transatlantic relationship had plummeted.



As Wolfgang Ischinger, former ambassador to Washington and the chair of the Munich security conference argues, as long as there are US troops on European soil, the actual location isn't particularly important but that "regretfully, trust has been lost over this issue".

He warns that a victory for Joe Biden - whose adviser for foreign policy has said he'd review the decision to withdraw troops from Germany - might not be the return to "some kind of transatlantic paradise" either because national differences over the big issues like climate change, Russia and China will remain.

However, most officials in Berlin expect such a political arena to be an easier one in which to negotiate and manoeuvre.

Ambassador Ischinger is not alone in seeing this election as a significant moment for Germany.

"The difficulties we've experienced in the last three and a half years have indeed served as a useful wake-up call for Germany to begin to reflect about its own responsibilities," he says.

Berlin has no desire for another four years of Donald Trump.

But, regardless of the outcome of the US election, there is a growing sense that Germany, which for so long considered America its teammate, may need to adjust its game plan.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The Key Battles Ahead for Brussels in the EU Commission's Next Term
Musk Calls for Farage to Step Down as Reform UK Leader Amid Political Tensions
UK Business Confidence Declines Amid Rising Costs and Tax Hikes
Musk's Comments on Grooming Gangs and Jess Phillips Draw Sharp Criticism
Musk and Farage Clash Over Support for Tommy Robinson Amid Political Tensions
Tragedy Strikes as 12-Year-Old Australian Girl Dies by Suicide After Online Bullying
Snow and Ice Disrupt New Year Holiday Travel Across Europe
UK TURNED A BLIND EYE TO RAPING CHILDREN
Britain Braces for Disruptive Freeze: Widespread Snow and Ice Set to Cripple the Nation
Drones Over Donbas: Ukraine's Civilian Frontline in a Technological Tug-of-War
Britain Faces Unyielding Cold as Major Snowfall Sets In
Justice Department Calls on Supreme Court to Deny Trump Request to Delay TikTok Ban Law
The Smart Home Revolution: How 2025 Will Transform Your Living Space
Rising Tragedy: Mediterranean Migrant Crisis and UK Safety Initiatives
Iranian Missile Factory Destroyed in Daring IDF Raid
Tragedy at Sea: Over 2,200 Migrant Deaths in the Mediterranean in 2024
British National Among 14 Victims in New Orleans Terror Attack
Alcohol Stocks Tumble After U.S. Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warnings
Norway Sets Benchmark in EV Adoption as Nearly 90% of New Cars Sold in 2024 Were Fully Electric
Suspected Terror Attack: Tesla Cybertruck Explodes Near Trump Tower
Gas Crisis Halts Industry in Transnistria
Transnistria’s Economic Paralysis: Russian Gas Cessation Halts Industry
Canary Islands Face Unprecedented Influx: Atlantic Migration Route Sets Grim Record
Ukraine Halts Russian Gas Transit, Sparking Energy and Diplomatic Turmoil in Europe
Terror Strikes New Orleans: Tragic New Year's Eve Attack Leaves 15 Dead
Tragedy at Sea: 20 Missing in Mediterranean Migrant Crisis
Romania and Bulgaria Join EU's Schengen Zone, Removing Land Border Controls
Australian Home Prices Begin to Cool After Nearly Two Years of Gains
Energy Bills Surge Again Amid Economic Strain on Families
Ivory Coast Announces Departure of French Troops
Ivory Coast to Evict French Troops Amid Surging Calls for African Sovereignty
Ukraine Ends Russian Gas Transit: A Shift with Geopolitical Ripples
Military Appeals Court Upholds 9/11 Plea Deals, Limiting Defense Secretary's Authority
Guatemalan Authorities on High Alert as 'Lev Tahor' Cult Leaders Threaten to Flee with Children to Mexico
South Korea Issues Arrest Warrant for Ousted President Over Martial Law Declaration
Russia and Ukraine Conduct Major Prisoner Exchange Amid Ongoing Conflict
Jimmy Carter: A Legacy of Peace and Humanity Remembered at 100
Kim Jong-un Pledges Toughest Anti-US Policies Amid Rising Tensions
In Unprecedented Exchange, Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of Prisoners
Trinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency as Murder Rates Surge
Debate Over Transgender Inmate Policies Intensifies Amid Allegations of Assault in US Women’s Prison
Trump's Stance on H-1B Visas: Balancing Economic Value and National Interest
Channel Tragedy: Three Dead in Record Year for Perilous Crossings
Jimmy Carter: The Legacy of America's Centennial Statesman
Record Tragedy in the Channel: Three Dead and 2024 Becomes Deadliest Year for Sea Crossings
Operation Beepers: A Remarkable Triumph of Israeli Intelligence Against Hezbollah
Rail Unions Keep the UK in a Chokehold: The Battle Over Power and Pay
Today, Biden allocated an additional $1.25 billion to Ukraine.
Biden Reportedly Regrets Decision to Step Aside, Claims He Could Defeat Trump
Russian Tanker Seized in Baltic Investigated for Espionage
×