Treading Merk-y Water
BY KEVIN SPARKS
As if German Chancellor Angela Merkel didn’t have enough on her plate with Germany’s handling (for better or for worse) of the Euro crisis, the whistleblower Edward Snowden is ensuring that she has her work cut out for her. Since Edward Snowden, ex-CIA and NSA employee, leaked information to The Guardian in early June about the NSA’s secret PRISM surveillance program, it seems as if each day has revealed a new conspiracy and angered another U.S. ally. While the situation is surely embarrassing for President Barack Obama, who must defend his government’s stance on spying against angry domestic and international citizens and politicians, he does not find himself alone; German Chancellor Angela Merkel accompanies him in the hot seat. Not only will she be held accountable for preserving the autonomy of her country, which at the same time is struggling in its leadership role atop the euro zone, but she must also rally her EU partners to continue negotiations with the United States. As the federal election in September approaches, Ms. Merkel will have to defend her chancellorship, which she has held since 2005, by assuring the protection of German citizens’ highly valued right to privacy while mending fences with the superpower of the West.
Germans have to be the most surprised as to what has surfaced thus far from Mr. Snowden’s information leaks. According to documents cited by Der Spiegel, Germany was classified by the United States as a “third-class” partner, a ranking which places the European power and U.S. ally among the likes of Saudi-Arabia, Iraq, and China. By no means was this classification carried lightly; on June 30, 2013, Der Spiegel reported that documents presented by Mr. Snowden revealed that on January 7, 2013, the NSA had eavesdropped on over 60 million German phone calls, a number that varies on a day-to-day basis. It did not end there however, as EU offices and foreign embassies in both Washington D.C. and New York City were described as “targets” for NSA surveillance and outfitted with taps and bugs to monitor and collect electronic transmissions. The Guardian also reported that the intention of these methods was to survey for policy disagreements on global issues between EU member countries. If the NSA is still monitoring phone calls in Germany, they will most certainly hear the outrage and anger expressed by ordinary citizens, along with politicians.
As expected, the response of German officials was swift, demanding immediate clarification, and critically, blasting President Obama and the U.S. for its handling of the situation. Among those who have spoken out so far against the NSA’s actions are German president of the EU parliament, Martin Schulz, and German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenburger. According to the Justice Minister, the situation invokes memories of “actions against enemies during the Cold War” while Mr. Schulz warned that “if the allegations prove to be true, it would be an extremely serious matter which will have a severe impact on EU-US relations.” Green Party member Rebecca Harms and Social Democrat Birgit Sippel, both opponents of Ms. Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union, have called for a review of existing agreements between the U.S. and Germany and an end to disclosure of bank transaction information and airline passenger information. Expect pressure to continue from the left as the Social Democratic Party attempts to weaken the current Chancellor before the September elections.
So what can Ms. Merkel do to maintain her seat while mending German’s relationship to the U.S. and President Obama? Of course, Chancellor Merkel will eventually have to face the music. She will be forced to confront President Obama regarding the specifics of the NSA’s espionage and disclose whether or not she had previous knowledge of said actions. What scares Germans the most is the thought of history repeating itself. Merkel’s greatest challenge is assuring voters that they do not have to constantly look over their shoulders. But that’s only the beginning of Merkel’s woes. Still looming in the minds of many government officials is the belief that this is hardly news to the Chancellor, and that not only is it tolerated, but that it is appreciated. After all, the German Federal Intelligence Service’s hands are mostly tied due to understaffing and a limited budget. As a result, the efforts of the NSA and other international intelligence services become vital to providing information to the German government, especially in the area of terror defense. However, German citizens do not want to hear an excuse; they need an answer. A hard line must be taken placing the rights and privacy of German citizens first in order for the Chancellor to appear favorably. Above all, she needs to appeal to the President for the answer to a simple question: why? According to a poll of 1,500 Germans between Monday July 1st and Wednesday, July 3rd conducted by infratest-dimap, 49% believe that America is “a country that could be trusted” and 78% agree that Chancellor Merkel “must protest more unequivocally to the US.” Protest she will, but the bridge to America is a big one and needs to remain intact.
There is a definite need for moderation and civility in the discussions which will ensue between the United States and Europe, because no matter how slighted Germans or other Europeans feel, the relationship between the two bodies must remain mutual. Ongoing negotiations over the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will continue, but with a degree of hesitancy. With the goal of liberalizing trade between European countries and the United States through the elimination of tariffs and slashing non-tariff barriers, both sides could potentially see a nice boost in output and GDP of almost 1%. Disgruntled European officials have suggested that talks be delayed, but it appears that they will continue as scheduled. Chancellor Merkel and Germany will take any economic stimulus or growth that they can get as they continue to lead a floundering euro zone.
Not only can the United States contribute to relieving an open economic wound, but it can also assist Germany’s domestic intelligence program. As stated before, information exchanged between nations is a borderline “must”, and no matter how embarrassing it is when the fine points are revealed, don’t expect it to cease immediately. It would be naïve to believe that a) allies don’t spy on each other and b) they don’t appreciate it at least a little. From an economic and security standpoint, the Chancellor will have enough reasons to make this a stern warning, but not a decapitation.
As Chancellor Merkel absorbed the atmosphere of President Obama’s speech at the Brandenburg Gate, she must have thought to herself how important the Merkel-Obama relationship has been over the last four years in particular. Would Germany be where it is today without him? Have the over-abundant “Big Brother” jokes finally hit the wrong nerve for the Germans? One thing is for sure: the Chancellor is going to require some much needed privacy to think this over.