Sunday 07 November 2021
Merkel on Macron
“Of course he can continue calling”
A few days ago, French President Macron paid tribute to the outgoing Chancellor with an invitation in an unusual way. A nice experience, says Merkel. In an interview, she looks back on some stages of her foreign policy.
Chancellor Angela Merkel was moved by the farewell visit to France and the encouragement of the local population. “That was a nice experience, I have to say that,” she said in one Interview with Deutsche Welle. “When you are in France, where in history we have often not had such friendly feelings for each other, I am delighted that so many people have come to greet the French President and me.” Macron invited Merkel to Beaune in Burgundy last week. There she was cheered by numerous citizens.
She also said that she would be happy to have contact with Macron from time to time. “Of course,” she said when asked whether the French head of state could still call her after her chancellorship ended. “We are all very busy as heads of government. There is a lot to do every day and that’s why Emmanuel Macron will talk to the German head of government, probably Olaf Scholz, in the future. And maybe we will have contact from time to time,” she said . “I would be happy. But working and moving things forward will be done with a new Federal Chancellor.” In addition to Macron, she will also “miss many of my colleagues because I enjoyed working with very, very many”.
In the 20-minute conversation, the Chancellor also looks back on numerous crises in her reign. She also admits that, despite all the successes, she did not manage everything – for example in the fight against the causes of flight or “that Europe has a uniform asylum and migration system”.
On the subject of the climate, she pointed out that you need majorities for every step. She also reminded of existing fears about the social consequences. Despite her best efforts, “I cannot say today that the result is already satisfactory,” she said. So she had to take note that the assessments of the scientists with each report “were still worse and more terrible”.
At the very end she tried to qualify the invitation of her likely successor to the G20 summit, which was often rated as extraordinary. It is simply the case that heads of government and finance ministers would take part there. Nevertheless, it is “a reassuring signal in a rather turbulent world” for the other countries to have this feeling that “there is good contact here between the current head of government and the likely future one,” she said. “And I thought that was right.”