A timely surprise gift was in store from the chancellor Friedrich Merz for the U.S. president, who celebrated his 80th birthday a few days ago.
At the start of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Evian, Mr. Merz presented Donald Trump a jersey from the German national soccer team, as it competes in the ongoing World Cup, with the name “Trump” on the back and the number “47,” since Mr. Trump is the 47th president of the United States. The chancellor had, however, already sent his best wishes to the American president via a handwritten card, which was delivered to the White House in time.
“Flirting with Trump is certainly never a mistake, but it doesn’t change the balance of power. Germany should continue to tread carefully in the transatlantic partnership,” political scientist Benjamin Henne told BILD ,commenting on Chancellor Merz’s attempt to normalize his relationship with the U.S. president, which had been disruptedwhen the former criticized the U.S. attack on Iran, prompting Donald Trump to respond in a derogatory tone.
