Ex German Chancellor Helmut Kohl is apparently less than pleased with the work of his erstwhile protégé Angela Merkel. The former chancellor reportedly told a friend privately that Merkel’s European policies were “very dangerous.”
News magazine Der Spiegel reported Sunday that Kohl told a recent visitor to his home, “She’s breaking up my Europe” – referring Merkel’s handling of the ongoing euro crisis, and to his own part in developing the European Union and laying the foundation for the single currency.
Other prominent members of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have also criticized their leader. Volker Bouffier, state premier of Hesse and CDU deputy leader, recently said the chancellor was in danger of destroying her party’s pro-European heritage. “Europe is a political project. It’s too important to leave to the ratings agencies,” he told Der Spiegel.
“The last thing that an export country like Germany can afford is a euro-sceptic population,” added Kurt Lauk, the head of the CDU’s economic council. “The government must go on the offensive now.”.
Dear Hemlut, Merkel is breaking up our Europe too!
Read the full story in thelocal.de
She is probably the person who profited the most of the reunification of Germany, which was only possible because of the existence of the EU. And now she is, in the words of Herr Kohl, breaking up Europe… The irony of history.
Not only she is getting flack this weekend. Her ‘partner-in-crime’, Jan-Kees de Jager the Dutch Finance Minister is getting a broadside in the Dutch press today. http://www.rnw.nl/africa/bulletin/finance-minister-de-jager-acting-%E2%80%9Cdubiously%E2%80%9D
[speculate mode ON]Is this coordinated?[speculate mode off] But at least there is a huge fight going on within the European Christian Democratic parties.
For Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand building up the EU was a passion. For Angela Merkel it is only a question of win or lose. The real irony is that she was the “political foster child” of Helmut Kohl.