Germany

Thirty years ago today the Federal Republic of Germany of the west absorbed the ex-Communist German Democratic Republic (GDR) of the east, reuniting the country for the first time since the end of World War II.

Concerns abut a reunited Germany dominating Europe as it did in the imperial and Third Reich eras have long since given way to a Germany that operates much like the old Weimar Republic was supposed to.  Since 1990, Germany has become a responsible partner in the integration of Europe.  It singed the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 that led to the European Union and has modernized much of the economy in the former Communist GDR.  The transition has not been without problems, but overall, Germany has actually become a more vibrant and active democracy and a stabilizing force not only in Europe but in the world, having contributed to the NATO effort to stabilize Afghanistan after 9/11.  Economically, Germany has become a major force in Europe, as evidenced by the expansion of companies such as Volkswagen AG, which bought the Czech car company Škoda and turned the once-embarrassing Trabant auto factory in Zwickau (in the former GDR) into a state-of-the-art factory making electric vehicles.

And in all of this, the country's long-serving chancellor, Angela Merkel (below) has kept Germany going through trying times that have included a migrant crisis and the ongoing pandemic.  In the process, she has become an important world leader who values and promotes the virtues of liberty, and, thanks to the current state of American politics, she's now being called the leader of the free world. 

All in all, not a bad track record for a country whose reunification raised concerns three decades ago.    

Obama Abroad

So how can you call Barack Obama's first trip to Europe as President of the United States a success when he didn't accomplish much?

Well, for one thing, he actually made it to Europe. And he impressed the British, the French, and the Germans alike with his charm, his self-deprecation, his articulate manner, and his willingness to listen. Obama wanted the Europeans to spend more to stimulate their economies. They don't want to do that so much. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted more international banking regulations. President Obama wanted more regulations, but not on a global framework. But at the G-20 summit, Obama did set a tone for ongoing negotiations and good-faith efforts at reviving the global economy that should bear more fruit later, just not now. So, as the President himself insisted, he did okay.

And thanks to him, the Queen of England has a new IPod!

Probably a lot of Sir Edward Elgar on it . . .

(The best sideshow involving First Lady Michelle Obama was not her meeting with Her Majesty, both rather her meeting with her French counterpart, Carla Bruni Sarkozy. A picture of the meeting shows that they were clearly sizing each other up! :-D)