The first time the two met was that January 2006: The Russian President in the Kremlin, with a malicious move as a former agent of KGBgave the newly elected chancellor a huge plush dog. He knew dogs were his greatest fear. Despite this episode, despite Crimea, despite Navalny and another series of Russian provocations, their diplomatic relations have always remained alive for 15 long years. Today, more than a month after the invasion of Ukraine, the Germany She struggles with the legacy he left her angela Merkel:and politicians are wondering whether their relationship to Vladimir Putinthe underestimation of his intentions, was “his biggest mistake“.
The final j’accuse came from the mouth of the German vice chancellor, Robert Habeck: “Let’s see error of past. Germany has put itself in a situation strong addiction from point energetic point of view“And the fact that we bet so much on Russia” is difficult understandable“, said the exponent of the Greens at the opening of the Berlin Energie Transition Dialogues. “There energy policy it is always also the politics of energy and from security‘ noted the Minister of Economy and Climate. “That Germany has become dependent on them 50% of gas, it’s hard to understand,” Habeck explained again. “Now we have to admit that we were wrong”. And change course: “Germany and Europe are now making themselves step by step more independent from Russian fossils.
The burden of Ostpolitik The German Vice Chancellor speaks in the plural, because the responsibility does not lie solely with Merkel. As Hans Montag recalled in an article for the daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, the SPD has been an ally of the government for years Big coalition has many mistakes: “TheOstpolitik Of Willie Brandt it has been raised to an end in itself. Without forgetting Merkel’s predecessor, the Social Democrats Gerard Schroederwho made Ostpolitik a personal interest and initially became the architect of north stream 1 and then the great puppeteer of north stream 2. The former chancellor became the lobbyist from Moscow in Europe and secured, among other things, a position on the board of the Russian stateowned energy giant Rosneftwithout ever distancing himself from his friend Putin. the huge project to double the flow of Russian gas Germanybypassing theUkraine of the Balticis, however, the symbol of the political responsibility now attributed to Merkel.
The defense of Nord Stream 2 The existing gas pipeline and the recently completed one before stop decided by Olaf Scholz political concerns expressed from the start: in Ukraine, in the Baltic States and in the east of the European Union. Christian Feld clearly underlines this in his analysis for the Tagesschau portal, the Tg of the first German broadcaster. “Merkel stayed with Nord Stream 2 faithful to the story that it was a project purely economical. She ignored warnings that energy is an important part of foreign policy.” The pipeline was not only part of a design, but also connected Berlin hand and foot with Moscow widerwhich would effectively make Germany one European hub of Russian gas. But, Feld continued, there were many reasons that Merkel should have at least been convinced of this over the years expose the project. But this did not happen even after the annexation Crimea.
change through trade Because the chancellor let Germany become so addicting from Russian fossils? That is the question that now arises Press German. In Focus, columnist Jan Fleischhauer even speaks of “a toxic legacy“But perhaps the most severe attack came from Brussels on Monday: The European version of Politico defined German politicians, with Merkel at the top,” he said useful idiots Of Putin“. The article, signed by Matthew Karnitschnig, ranks the mistakes made during the sixteen years of the Merkel era: the Nord Stream 2, the devotion to Ostpolitik, but also the belief that change through trade, change through the company, it would have been enough to prevent Putin’s foreign policy from drifting aggressively. Merkel, as we also read on the Tagesschau website, is convinced that economic rapprochement will lead to the success of her strategy. At least this has not happened so far.
I owe his colleagues These are the mistakes that those who have been Merkel’s companions for years suddenly recognize and are now “asking painful questions,” says Tina Hildebrandt in the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”. The list of my mistake is long: John Wadephuldeputy leader of the CDU, said everyone “should reflect critically if Putin’s aggressive intentions were underestimated,” even if “it was like that an inability Of prepare properly to the negative scenario that has occurred”. Thomas de Maiziereone of the historic ministers of the Merkel era said: “We misjudged aggression this man”. Even the former finance minister, the hawk wolfgang SchäubleHe admitted: “I was wrong, we were all wrong“. While Friedrich Merzmeanwhile CDU leader and internal enemy of Merkel, took advantage of this and declared that the war “has torn into pieces Decades of German and European Foreign and Security Policy.
Diplomatic Skills “The government didn’t see that risk a huge reliance on fossil fuels from Russia, and maybe he didn’t want to see that,” Feld rewrites. But she also acknowledges that Merkel has achieved important diplomatic results from her relationship with Putin. Including those format Normandy which resulted in Minsk agreements February 2015: thanks to the Chancellor’s diplomatic skills. It must be recognized that it was able to keep open a channel of communication between the West and Moscow, without which Putin could have acted even sooner. The common past in the GDR Merkel was born and raised in Germany eastthe Russian President worked until fall of the wall allowed the two to have a relationship privileged.
The lack of a vision Putin can speak German, Merkel a little Russian: Terpeniye (Patience) is his favorite word. He made use of this several times during his visits to the Kremlin in order to avoid the final rift. Also in the name of coming to terms with the past, a coming to terms with the past that Germany is making itself felt historical debt against Russia for crimes committed during World War II. Nevertheless, writes the Faz (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), German foreign policy should no longer appear as a “mixture of” in Moscow greennessRomance about Russia e guilt complexes“. But the Chancellor’s decisions, especially in the field of energy policy, were supported and approved by her CDU (his party), by the allies of Spd and also fromGerman industry, as recalled by Paolo Valentino in Corriere della Sera. In his book “Merkel’s Age”, the journalist already hinted at the former chancellor’s real limits: “She is a pragmatic leader who doesn’t have any structured vision Germany and Europe”. Just this lack of vision of long time who comes to her later today controversial in Germany regarding i Relationships with Putin’s Russia.