Berlin's Provincial Farce
Josef Joffe, Die Zeit I July 11, 2008
The planned speech of Presidential candidate Barack Obama in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin threatens to turn into a provincial farce. ++ Unlike Washington D.C., where the US federal government decides who can speak at the nation's political sanctuaries, in Berlin, local and federal politicians use the invitation for political profiling purposes. ++ Berlin's mayor wants to play in the field of federal politics; foreign minister Steinmeier tries to appeal to his SPD party fellows, and Chancellor Merkel rightly expresses her surprise.
