Deutschland gegen Donald Trump? Memo von Botschafter spielt diplomatische Feuersturm

Writing at *19FortyFive*, [Russell A. Berman](https://www.hoover.org/profiles/russell-berman) writes about a leaked German diplomatic cable in which the ambassador rues the supposed decline of rule of law and democratic institutions in the US that will occur during the Trump administration. Berman quotes from the leaked memo (via Reuters):

>“Basic democratic principles and checks and balances will be largely undermined, the legislature, law enforcement, and media will be robbed of their independence and misused as a political arm, Big Tech will be given co-governing power,” asserts the Ambassador…

But Berman points out the cable, and its later leak, were likely crafted to serve domestic political interests within Germany, which is holding elections next month. The ambassador has ties to Germany’s Green Party, which hopes to attract voters with anti-Trump rhetoric. “Flaunting their anti-Trump credentials through the cable leak, the Greens can now try to attract voters who might otherwise align with anti-American factions on the extremes of the right and the left,” Berman writes. “For those German voters who despise President Trump, the Greens now become an attractive choice.”

Analyzing the implications of this episode, Berman suggests:

>The reverberations of [Michaelis‘] attack on the incoming administration may instead damage prospects for productive and collaborative bilateral relations. This is unfortunate because there are significant areas of overlap between American and German national interests…

>Germany should appeal for greater defense cooperation with the U.S. by committing to increase its own spending significantly. Demonstrating a clear will to defend European security might build a bridge to the Trump administration and, in any case, behoove a German government more than moralizing about the state of American democracy.