Shortly before the NATO summit in the UK, the French president, true to his image as a “political disruptor” with Napoleonic plans for the European Union, claimed that the alliance is experiencing “brain death”. The harsh words did not find understanding in Berlin, although it supported Macron when it came to the idea of a joint European army.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was “uncharacteristically furious” and berated French President Emmanuel Macron at a dinner celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall after he publicly announced NATO's “brain death”, The New York Times reports.
According to the outlet, Merkel, one of the world's most powerful politicians, had a one-on-one with her French counterpart, who also happened to be the only one to have vetoed starting membership talks for North Macedonia to join the European Union, although the country has met the bloc's requirements.
“I understand your desire for disruptive politics. But I'm tired of picking up the pieces. Over and over, I have to glue together the cups you have broken so that we can then sit down and have a cup of tea together”, Merkel reportedly said.
In his turn, Macron reportedly fought back by insisting that he could not head to the upcoming NATO gathering outside London while remaining silent about the US and Turkey's actions in Syria.
“I cannot sit there and act like nothing has happened”, he reportedly claimed.
Angela…
