The flaws of some of Germany’s top leaders were exposed to the world this week. Meanwhile, Germany’s defense minister came through unscathed.
One of the more accurate ways to measure the reputation of a politician is to listen in on what is said about him or her among peers in private.
This is partly why the recent WikiLeaks dump is so absorbing. Parsing the torrent of secret dossiers and memos, we get a glimpse into the well-informed and unfettered observations of foreign leaders by U.S. diplomats. WikiLeaks is a nightmare for U.S. foreign policy, and is trashing the residue of respect that existed in some circles for American power. Still, this treasure trove of intelligence provides unique insight into the machinations of other countries—and even the political fortunes of some important individuals.
Consider Germany.
On Sunday, the world learned that the U.S. State Department considers Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s finance minister, “neurotic” and an “angry old man.” We also learned that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is “risk averse and rarely creative” and is “insincere” in her dealings with the Obama administration. Apparently, Merkel is so desperate to avoid conflict, some U.S. diplomats have dubbed her Angela “Teflon” Merkel. If you think that’s harsh, consider the characterization of Guido Westerwelle, Germany’s vice chancellor and foreign minister. According to various memos, Westerwelle is “opportunistic,” “arrogant” and “too fixated on maintaining his ‘cult of personality.’” In one dossier, he’s painted as a novice, a man “learning the ropes” of foreign policy and still trying to prove himself to his chancellor.
Ouch.
