According to The Scotsman, Schröder is facing pressure to resign from fellow Germans who are appalled at the current state of German-American relations.
The CDU chief, Angela Merkel, said simply: "He has let Germany down badly and he should resign. That’s it."Friedrich Merz, the party’s parliamentary chief, said: "He has placed himself in a prison of his own building. This policy of standing up to the US over Iraq has served to do nothing but isolate Germany in the world community."
Gerhard Lutz, a political analyst, said: "Schröder is basically saying to America: ‘We are important - we deserve to be listened to.‘ But this is the roar of a mouse, and the tone is hectoring in a way that the Bush White House finds offensive. Mr Schröder’s legacy could well be that of the man who did more to single-handedly diminish German influence in Europe and the world than any other in post-war history."
This article highlights why I am still optimistic that German-American relations can be saved. If Schröder resigns, the relationship could be reaffirmed before it is too late. I do not expect the new government to come out in support of the war – a majority of the German people still oppose it – but there are reasonable ways to disagree. Allow me to humbly suggest a speech for the new German leader.
Ever since the Marshall Plan, Germans and Americans have cooperated. Together we tore down the Berlin Wall. With American support, the German peoples were reunited. We have seen the Soviet Union disbanded and former adversaries become friends. Together, we have accomplished great things through cooperation and there is much goodwill between our countries. Unfortunately, the acts of my predecessor have lowered these reserves of goodwill.I stand before you to help rebuild them. Germany and the United States of America are two sovereign countries. At times, we will disagree on certain issues. That is natural, and there is nothing wrong with that. For example, we disagree on what should be done about the Iraqi problem. Along with some European countries, we would like to give diplomacy more time to work. Along with other European countries, the US says Iraq has had more than enough time. It is obvious that our countries have strong disagreements here and both countries are firm in their resolve. But there is a difference between agreeing to disagree and actively thwarting the plans of a friend. In our recent actions, Germany has aided in thwarting the activities of those who favor armed intervention in Iraq. To those people, especially our friends in the United States and Turkey, we apologize. This will not be repeated as long as I am in office.
I still disagree with the position of our friends who support armed intervention. However, Germany will not veto the use of NATO forces to defend a member. Nor shall we use other means in any attempt to thwart countries who favor armed intervention. We shall continue to express our views, diplomatically, because that is what friends do when they disagree. I offer my hand in renewed friendship to those who have been our friends for many years now.
Thank you.
I do not know how this speech would be received in Germany. I have an informed guess how it would be received in the US. President Bush would welcome it and any consumer boycott against Germany would be ended before it seriously took root.
May Schröder’s reign be short-lived.