Merkel-GW: minimum syndical

Il fallait que la rencontre Merkel-Bush fut un succès. On l’avait annoncé comme le grand succès de la réconciliation depuis des mois. Ce ne pouvait être que la grande réconciliation. Cela devait être la grande réconciliation. On fera donc comme si : tout se passa comme si on pourrait dire que ce fut la grande réconciliation.

Un très bref rapport du Guardian nous donne les premières indications. Ce fut effectivement le minimum syndical par rapport au triomphe attendue et déjà acquis avant que la rencontre ait lieu. Cette étrange époque de la politique-virtualisme ne cesse d’être toujours plus étrange, — où l’on vous dit que ce fut un triomphe parce que ce devait être un triomphe et que l’on s’est souri pour confirmer que ce fut un triomphe.

« Relations between George Bush and Gerhard Schröder sank so low that the president refused to take the former German chancellor's phone calls. So diplomats in Washington and Berlin will be hoping yesterday's meeting at the White House between Mr Bush and Angela Merkel, the new German chancellor, heralds a better era in relations between the countries following the divisive clash over the Iraq war.

» On the surface the signs are good. Ms Merkel, who is more in tune with Mr Bush's conservative policies than her predecessor, has promised to work with the president. The administration has welcomed these overtures and sees Germany's first woman leader as a strong potential partner. It was all smiles following their three-hour meeting — the last time Mr Schröder visited the White House he was allotted a meagre 20 minutes. “We've got a lot in common,” Mr Bush said.

» But Ms Merkel made it clear she will not be anybody's patsy, raising with Mr Bush the issue of Guantánamo Bay, which she has publicly said should be closed down. “There have been differences of opinion, I mentioned Guantánamo in this respect,” she said. But he rejected the suggestion the prison camp on Cuba should be shut, describing it as “a necessary part of protecting the American people”. »

Mis en ligne le 14 janvier 2006 à 18H24