Angela Merkel, Obama reunite in Washington for former chancellor’s book tour
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former US President Barack Obama, who have long been close political allies, gathered in Washington on December 2 to celebrate the launch of her memoir in the United States.
Dr. Merkel and Mr. Obama cultivated a strong partnership during his two terms in office. Notably, Mr. Obama’s final foreign tour as president in 2016 featured a memorable stop in Berlin, where he joined Dr. Merkel for a joint appearance as she prepared for the incoming administration of then President-elect Donald Trump.
At the December 2 event, the two leaders addressed various significant topics such as German unification, the global financial crisis of 2008, climate change, and immigration. This thoughtful dialogue generated intermittent applause and laughter from an enthusiastic audience of approximately 3,000 attendees at The Anthem, a prominent event venue in Washington.
The camaraderie between the two leaders was evident as they easily exchanged thoughts and reflections. Mr. Obama conducted the conversation in English, while Dr. Merkel articulated her responses in German. He praised her English proficiency but acknowledged her preference for her native tongue, given her precise background as a trained scientist.
In a lighthearted exchange, Dr. Merkel later remarked that Mr. Obama, a lawyer, also exhibited a keen sense of precision. Their repartee included a humorous reference to Mr. Obama’s campaign trip to Berlin in 2008, during which Dr. Merkel declined his team’s request to deliver a speech in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate. Mr. Obama quipped about her concerns that he might have been upset after that decision, to which he reassured her, “I was fine.”
Interestingly, the conversation did not delve into the topic of Donald Trump, who defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in the November election. However, Dr. Merkel did express her hope for the eventual election of a female president in the United States.
In her memoir, titled “Freedom: Memories 1954-2021,” written prior to the November 5 election, Dr. Merkel had voiced optimism about Ms. Harris’s prospects. “Freedom was something I always sought in the first part of my life,” she shared when Mr. Obama inquired about the book’s title. She clarified her understanding of freedom, stating, “Some people think of freedom as freedom from something, freedom from responsibilities. My understanding of freedom is… that we are empowered to do something.”
Since leaving office after 16 years, Dr. Merkel’s legacy has faced scrutiny, while Mr. Obama remains an influential figure among Democrats. However, he found it challenging to translate his popularity into support for Ms. Harris or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who previously lost to Trump in 2016.
Mr. Obama remarked on the significance of Germany’s reunification following the fall of the Berlin Wall, suggesting it could impart valuable lessons for a United States that is increasingly marked by division. “If you can be divided literally by a wall for decades and still figure out how to come together and prosper as one identity in one country, then hopefully the – quote, unquote – ‘United States of America’ should be able to do this,” he stated.
