Merkel vs. Böhmermann

Merkel vs. Böhmermann

April 22, 2016 • From theTrumpet.com

One man succeeded where all the politicians could not—in shaking Merkel’s political stronghold.

By Josue Michels

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been a rock of stability. Politicians from all parties—even her allies—have vehemently criticized her. Former political heroes and chancellors have turned their backs on her. Friends have refused to follow her lead; her party has lost the support of many voters. Yet, through it all, Merkel’s popularity remained steadfast. This suddenly changed when one man wrote a poem.

This man is not an influential politician, nor does he have a royal pedigree. He is a tv moderator and satirist for the German zdf, a public service broadcaster in Europe. But what this man accomplished surpasses what Merkel’s critics have hoped to do.

It all started with a poem of just a little more than 20 lines. It provoked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to fury—and consequently tripped up the chancellor.

Jan Böhmermann composed an insulting poem directed against Erdoğan. According to Böhmermann, the poem was meant to demonstrate the difference between allowed satire and abusive criticism. Erdoğan, however, saw this as an unacceptable attack against him and his office. Chancellor Merkel was asked to intervene immediately and allow the Turkish government to prosecute the satirist. The Turks referred to paragraph 103 of the German Criminal Code, which allows the prosecution of those who insult officials of foreign governments. The paragraph was written when the German monarchy was still prevalent, however, and many see it as obsolete.

Merkel’s reaction may be exactly what Böhmermann wanted. She jumped to Erdoğan’s aid, calling Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and condemning the poem. She even prohibited its publication. Her actions led to an uproar. In “Böhmermann Reveals Merkel’s Failure,” Wolfram Weimer explains why (Trumpet translation):

Firstly, Angela Merkel seriously undermines the freedom of opinion for the artistic.

Secondly, she jumped to support an enemy of human rights.

Thirdly, Merkel knew the risk of scenarios 1 and 2, and still acted that way.

Many people felt that Merkel was no longer fighting for them but clinging to the threads of her refugee policy for political reasons. Two thirds of the German population, according to an Emnid poll, think that Merkel overreacted because of political expediency.

Then the scandal grew. Erdoğan’s request for prosecution required the consent of the German government. A vote was taken. The Social Democratic Party, coalition partner to Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, opposed it—causing a draw. It was now up to Merkel to decide. Would she stand with her coalition partners as they stood with her throughout the refugee crises? The answer was “No.” She took Erdoğan’s side—allowing the prosecution.

Her decision set off a widespread avalanche of discontent. Although the wisdom behind her decision is debatable, it lost Merkel a lot of support. At the beginning of April, 56 percent of the population was satisfied with Merkel’s policy, which indicated to many that she had survived the refugee crisis almost unharmed. But after Böhmermann’s poem, her popularity dropped by 11 percent—a big shift in German politics.

Many media outlets and politicians believe the recent deal with Turkey tied Merkel to Erdoğan. The success of her refugee policy depends largely on him. Böhmermann revealed this weakness and caused a media uproar unlike any other in the last few years. The Trumpet anticipated a change in Merkel’s political standing. Read “Germany, Migrants and Angela Merkel’s Big Lie” for more about Germany’s current political shift. ▪