Mistook Trump for someone completely normal: 5 controversies from Angela Merkel's memoir

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel takes readers behind closed doors in her upcoming memoir, Freedom: Memories 1954-2021, offering insights into her dealings with world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump.

The memoir, set to release on Nov. 26, sheds light on controversial moments from her 16 years in power as her legacy faces increasing scrutiny amid today’s global crises.

Here are five major controversies from Merkel’s memoir:

1. Mistook Trump for someone ‘completely normal’

In her memoir, Merkel admits her first mistake with Donald Trump was treating him as if he were “completely normal,” a miscalculation she quickly regretted.

Recounting their 2017 Oval Office meeting, where Trump refused to shake her hand for the cameras, Merkel recalls whispering to him that they should shake hands again. “As soon as the words left my mouth, I shook my head at myself. How could I forget that Trump knew precisely what he was doing,” she writes, according to The Guardian.

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According to Merkel, Trump deliberately sought to create controversy with his behaviour, exploiting it for public attention.

Reflecting on his “emotional” nature and preference for authoritarians, Merkel highlights how she misread his intentions during their early interactions.

2. Nato membership for Ukraine and the 2008 Bucharest summit

Merkel defends her opposition to offering Ukraine future Nato membership during the 2008 summit, a stance that critics argue emboldened Russia’s aggression.

In excerpts published by Die Zeit, Merkel wrote that even the summit’s declaration that Ukraine and Georgia would eventually join Nato was a “battle cry” for Putin.

She recounts Putin telling her, “You won’t be Chancellor forever. And then they’ll become a member of Nato. And I want to prevent that.”

3. Seeking the Pope’s advice on Trump

Merkel sought guidance from Pope Francis after Donald Trump’s election in 2016, describing him as a leader with a “winner-or-loser mentality” shaped by his background in property development.

She hoped to sway Trump from pulling the US out of the Paris climate accords. The pope’s advice? “Bend, bend, bend, but make sure it doesn’t break.”

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Despite her efforts, Trump exited the accord in 2017, a decision she viewed as a major setback in global climate diplomacy.

4. Criticism of Trump’s worldview

Merkel takes aim at Trump’s transactional approach to politics, writing that he saw the world through the lens of a real estate developer: “

Each parcel of land could only be sold once, and if he didn’t get it, someone else did.”

Merkel’s frequent appeals to values like freedom and human rights during his presidency earned her the nickname “leader of the free world,” a title traditionally reserved for US presidents.

5. Her “heartfelt hope” for Kamala Harris

Written before Trump’s reelection, Merkel expresses optimism in her memoir that Vice President Kamala Harris would defeat her political rivals.

While she avoids overt endorsements, her criticism of Trump and “heartfelt hope” for Harris further underscores Merkel’s concerns about Trump’s impact on global governance.

With inputs from agencies