Relations between the United States and Europe and specifically the USA and Germany had lost under the Trump administration.
Germany has a reason to celebrate on October 2. It’s German Unity Day, the national holiday for the Federal Republic of Germany.
The U.S. State Department submitted a message to German Chancellor Angela Merkel today saying: “On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I send my congratulations and best wishes to the people of Germany as you celebrate the Day of German Unity.
For 29 years, German unification has been a symbol of courage and hope to the world. On that day freedom, democracy, and the inalienable right of people everywhere to choose how they wish to be governed prevailed. Since then, the United States has stood together with a united Germany to champion these same liberties throughout the world. They are indicative of our shared values, and the key to our mutual prosperity.”
On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump sent a very different message in signing an order to impose up to 25% penalty tariffs against Germany and the EU. The reason is the European support for Airbus.
According to Trump this support means a substantial loss of competitiveness for U.S. based aviation producer Boeing. The Boeing 737-Max safety problem was not mentioned by the president when he signed a declaration to impose import tariffs for Airbus. Airbus is headquartered in Germany and France. Besides penalty taxes against Airbus, agricultural products from the Europen Union were targeted by the United States.
Chancellor Merkel is concentrating on Germany’s national holiday and says: “This year is especially historic as we also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I join you in marking this milestone and the three decades of peace and economic growth that have followed. I wish all Germans a happy national day and another year of continued success.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday said Germany had made significant progress since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, but said differences between the former eastern and western states still needed to be evened out.
Merkel spoke of the urgency to create equal living conditions across the country because former East Germany still lags economically behind the rest of the country.
This is “a great success,” Merkel said, but “there is still a lot to do.” Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday attended a celebration event for the Day of Germany Unity in Erfurt.
She also paid tribute to residents of the former GDR (East Germany) who in 1989 and beyond had “mustered much courage” to “make German unity a reality.” She said such courage is needed again today.
“We have to make it possible for all citizens of the Federal Republic to contribute their experience, their knowledge, and their life story so we can shape our future together,” Merkel added.
In the aftermath of World War II, Germany was split in two, with the eastern states forced to adapt to life as a satellite of the Soviet Union, while West Germany was rebuilt under a democratic government and the leadership of the U.K., France and USA.
The country is preparing to mark three decades since the so-called Peaceful Revolution in the East led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. Nearly a year later, on October 3, 1990, the two parts of Germany were officially reunified.
Germany’s response to the U.S. tariff: Bring it on!
