By Bertrand Benoit & Hugh Williamson Financial Times It was accident rather than design that made foreign policy the focus of Angela Merkel’s first weeks as German chancellor. But with visits to Washington and Moscow over the next four days, she firmly intends to set her own agenda…more
By Ian Bickerton & Guy Dinmore Financial Times NetherlandsDoubts in the Netherlands about whether to send 1,400 troops to southern Afghanistan as part of a peacekeeping mission are threatening to bring down the country’s centre-right government and damage the credibility of the Nato alliance…more
By International Herald Tribune International Herald Tribune The previous German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, created quite a strain in German-U.S. relations when he branded the invasion of Iraq a “military adventure” and joined France in ardently opposing it…more
By Richard Bernstein International Herald Tribune BERLIN The U.S. secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, did what was expected by many people in Europe after her meetings with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and other German officials. She gave reassurances that the United States would not tolerate torture and, while not admitting mistakes, promised to correct […]
After French and Dutch voters rejected the draft treaty establishing a constitution for Europe last spring, there was no doubt that a crisis of unprecedented seriousness confronted the European Union….more