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The Week in Germany: Current Affairs January 26, 2007 Letter from Berlin - Deutsche Welle's Monthly Take on News and Views from the German Capital
This week, TWIG introduces a new feature: A reprint of Deutsche Welle's monthly "Letter from Berlin", produced by journalist Kyle James for international radio broadcasts. The views expressed in "Letter from Berlin" are not those of the German government or of the edtiors at The Week in Germany. Happy Reading! I'm Kyle James and this is Letter from Berlin. When Gerhard Schröder was German chancellor, the relationship with Russia was close and warm. Russian president Vladimir Putin and Mr. Schröder were old pals. But now that Angela Merkel is in the top job, things have cooled somewhat. The first of January saw Angela Merkel's prominence on the EU and the world stage jump up a notch. Germany took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU. And it's heading up the G8 group of industrialized nations in 2007. She's been using this bully pulpit of sorts to press some friends to change some of their ways. Merkel has made ties with Russia a keynote of Germany's EU presidency. In her speech before the European Parliament, she said the EU can't ignore problems in Russia, like a clampdown on civil liberties and the free press. And she called on resource-rich Russia to be a reliable energy supplier. She's made it clear she was not happy when Russia temporarily cut off the flow of oil to Germany and other EU countries earlier in January after a tiff with Belarus. She said such actions were unacceptable and that they destroy trust. That's some of the harshest language any German chancellor has used with a Russian leader since the collapse of the Soviet Union. But it's not that Merkel's anti-Russian. She speaks the language fluently. She just doesn't think the country deserves special treatment. Maybe her reservations about the big bear to the east come from her growing up in East Germany, a country that was firmly under Soviet control. A partner - Russia can be that if it's reliable, she seems to think - but a friend, she's not that sure. Bavarian Brawl It's a pretty place, Bavaria. There are mountains down south, pretty castles, those lederhosen shorts, and don't forget Oktoberfest. There are big companies like BMW and Siemens keeping the economic motor humming along. But Bavaria's also the backdrop of a political drama that has ended in the ouster of one of Germany's most high-profile political figures. Edmund Stoiber is head of the Christian Social Union, the very conservative sister party to Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, but not for much longer. He's announced he's stepping down at the end of September. It's a development that was almost unimaginable just a short while ago. There have long been complaints about his leadership style: He's seen as autocratic, out of touch with the voters, more like a prickly king than a governor. But then a chief aide of his was accused of snooping into the private life of a critic, asking if she drank and who she was dating. Things started heading downhill fast. It turns out, Stoiber is not quite as beloved, or influential, as he thought he was. He's scrambling to stay in the driver's seat, since it's obvious he loves his power. But in the end, party members have begun seeing him as a liability. For Angela Merkel, this development is mixed. Her party depends on Stoiber's party as a vote bank. But at the same time, there's no great love between the two, and a Stoiber exit could increase her standing. Traditionally, Bavaria has been one of the most politically stable parts of Germany, but the good-natured Lederhosen crowd has been playing rough. Next round in this fight: who will replace the ousted leader? What to do about Tempelhof? It's a prime piece of real estate right in the middle of a European capital, it's chock full of history, and no one knows what on earth should be done with it. It's Tempelhof Airport. Opened back in 1923, it's still the third largest building in Europe in terms of floor space. Rumors and even announcements of its imminent demise - that is closing - are regular. Not much goes on at Tempelhof now - Berlin's other two airports have taken most business away. But Tempelhof has a rich past. It was greatly expanded under the Nazi regime. Then it played a key role in the Berlin Airlift of the late 40's, when supplies were flown into a West Berlin that had been cut off by the Soviets. However, the place is now sinking in debt, and its location and size make it unsuited for big planes. Lawmakers have been pushing to shutter Tempelhof for years, but emotions always run high around the issue and it seems no one really has the heart to close it down for good. There have been lots of suggestions about future use - from turning it into a city park, or high-end spa to giving it over to developers. It had been slated for closure this year, but has gotten another reprieve - it will remain open until October 2008, at least. It's like one of those gut-wrenching decisions that you keep putting off until tomorrow. We'll keep you updated. In Berlin, I'm Kyle James with Letter from Berlin. Deutsche Welle, or DW, is a German international broadcaster. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio in more than two dozen languages (DW-RADIO). It has a satellite television service (DW-TV) that is available in four languages, and produces DW-WORLD.DE, a 30-language online news site in both Bonn and Berlin. Deutsche Welle, which in English means "German Wave", is similar to international broadcasters such as the BBC World Service, Voice of America, and Radio France Internationale. Links:
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