German MPs want US ambassador expelled over his desire to 'empower Europe's conservatives'
RT,
5
June, 2018
German
MPs are rallying for the US ambassador to be expelled after he said
that he wanted to "empower" conservatives throughout
Europe. One lawmaker dubbed the diplomat a "Trump vassal"
while slamming his remarks.
Richard
Grenell's controversial statements sent waves across Berlin when the
US ambassador told Breitbart that he is overjoyed by the "European
groundswell of conservative policies" that has come about
because of the "failed policies of the left." He also said
he wanted to "empower" conservatives on the continent.
The
German foreign ministry responded by seeking clarification from the
US, while MPs were quick to speak their minds regarding Grenell's
comments. Some are even calling for him to be expelled over the
matter.
The
bluntest statements have come from the chief of the far-left Linke
party, Sahra Wagenknecht. "Someone like US ambassador Richard
Grenell, who thinks he can lord over Europe and determine who is
governing here, can no longer stay in Germany as a diplomat,"
she told Die Welt daily. "If the government takes the democratic
sovereignty of our country seriously, then it shouldn't just invite
Grenell to a chat over coffee, but expel him immediately."
Senior
center-left MP and former European Parliament President Martin Schulz
also chimed in, telling the German Press Agency that "Grenell
does not behave like a diplomat, but like a far-right colonial
officer." He added that "if the German ambassador in
Washington would say that he is there to strengthen the Democrats, he
would be expelled straight away."
Meanwhile,
Ralf Stegner, the chief of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD) in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, referred to Grenell as an
"election fighter for right-wing parties."
“European
citizens don't need a Trump vassal to tell them who to vote for. A US
ambassador who meddles in the democratic process to such a degree is
simply misplaced," SPD MP Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel said.
Grenell
has taken to social media to address the controversy, calling the
notion that he would endorse European candidates or policies
"ridiculous."
The
US ambassador's comments will be discussed at a pre-arranged meeting
on Wednesday between Grenell and senior official Andreas Michaelis,
the German foreign minister has confirmed.
"There
will certainly be a lot to discuss and that's why it's good that the
ambassador will be a guest tomorrow of state secretary Michaelis, and
that what has been said can also be discussed," Foreign Minister
Heiko Maas said, as quoted by AFP.
Grenell's
comments come amid already strained ties between Berlin and
Washington, following US President Donald Trump's departure from the
Iran nuclear deal and tariffs on European aluminum and steel. It also
comes after German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Europe
must take its fate into its own hands, as it can no longer rely on
the US for protection.
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