Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel

by Claudia Clark

“I wanted to study physics because the East German regime couldn’t simply suspend the rules of elementary arithmetic and the laws of physics,” she explained.17

The regulation of hedge funds and taxation became the biggest sticking points between the Americans and the Europeans because the Americans felt stronger economic contributions, via economic stimulus packages, would provide better and more sustainable economic growth than mere regulations.

“It is true, as my Italian friend has said, that the crisis began in the US. I take responsibility, even if I wasn’t even president at the time.”31

Obama had admitted that while other countries shared some responsibility for the crisis, the bulk of the problem resulted from the United States and its endless need for profit.

Merkel would often give very short and precise answers, whereas Obama had the American politician’s skill of answering everything but the question asked—in fact, he had it down to a fine art. His answers tended to be long and detail oriented, peppered with data on any number of relevant issues.

Once again, Obama showed that he had the ability to see past his own nation’s interests, a quality that Merkel valued.

With these remarks, she alluded to the opinion that an unsympathetic US Congress was no excuse for Obama’s inability to pass legislation of such global importance.

An emotional Merkel explained that Germans have a duty and responsibility to work toward a world free of xenophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, and right-wing extremism to ensure nothing like the atrocities of World War II ever happens again.

while it is considered uncharacteristic for Germans to brag or assume credit for one’s achievements, it is not the case for Americans. While Merkel had failed to mention her humanitarian efforts regarding the refugee crisis, Obama made sure to tell the world—and most important, the German people—that they should be proud of the chancellor.

However, after Clinton’s surprise upset, the focus of Obama’s final official trip abroad shifted. Rather than passing the baton of “leader of the free world” to former secretary of state Clinton, who had campaigned on continuing Obama’s legacy, the president would have to pass the baton to Merkel instead.

Spain, and Italy.”4 While he would naturally spend some time reminding his fellow world leaders that Trump’s election victory did not mean the end of modern Western civilization,