Friday, October 01, 2010

Butt Out, Angela!

As reported yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed her displeasure with a new government in the Netherlands that was formed with the support of PVV leader Geert Wilders. Mr. Wilders, as might be expected, responded defiantly to Ms. Merkel’s interference with internal Dutch affairs.

It appears that ordinary Germans are not very supportive of their chancellor’s position — at least among the commenters on Germany’s (and Europe’s) largest blog, Politically Incorrect. According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, as translated by our Flemish correspondent VH:

Germans say sorry for expressions of Merkel

Apologies, Netherlands!

AMSTERDAM — Dozens of eastern neighbors told De Telegraaf that they do not support the statements of their Chancellor, Angela Merkel.


These are visitors to the German weblog Politically Incorrect, that focuses on opposition to the “Islamization of Europe.”

Merkel earlier this week made it known that she regrets the formation of a Cabinet with the support of the PVV in the Netherlands. Wilders responded very sharply (“Frau Merkel, Sie haben kein Recht”), and has now found support from the German blog, which published the email addresses of the editors of the CDA fraction-leader Maxime Verhagen.

“I assure you that Mrs. Merkel does not speak on behalf of the entire German people,” Hans-Josef Rickal insisted. Axel Fritsch from Bad Nauheim reports that the Dutch have a good image with most eastern neighbors. “If we do not play against each other, we even support you in football. You have a strong democracy, which has the right to prohibit the involvement of the German Chancellor.”

K. Hummel de Cabaleiro makes it clear that many Germans stand behind the “courageous coalition forming in the Netherlands”: “Remain steadfast.”

However, most reactions are apologetic in nature. “We offer our apologies for the undue interference of Mrs. Merkel in your affairs.”

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I still want my bicycle back.

Yorkshireminer said...

Federale

I think you had better explain that rather Dutch in joke.

Anonymous said...

LOL. Yes, when the German Army retreated from the Netherlands, they confiscated many bicycles as transportation. Since then when a Dutchman meets a German he always asks for his bicycle back.

"Where is my bicycle. I want my bicycle back." Or some I am told the joke goes.

I learned this from a Dutch fellow student at a French language school in Antibes back during the cold war.