The German opposition Green Party politician, Anton Hofreiter, is urging CDU leader Friedrich Merz to publicly retract recent remarks concerning Brazil, particularly as Merz prepares for a meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the G20 summit in South Africa. Hofreiter emphasized the urgent need for Merz to mitigate the damage inflicted by his comments and to proactively restore Germany’s international standing.
The controversy stems from Merz’s unflattering description of Belém, the location of the recent climate conference in northern Brazil, which reportedly prompted a sharp retort from President Lula da Silva, who accused Berlin of lacking even a tenth of Belém’s quality. Hofreiter believes Merz has a responsibility to engage in dialogue with Lula on an equal footing, advocating for stronger alliances between Germany and democratic nations, independent of pressures from the United States or China.
The G20 summit, occurring amidst the absences of the U.S. and Chinese presidents, presents a unique opportunity for Germany to champion multilateralism, Hofreiter argued. He stressed the need for Berlin to capitalize on this moment to demonstrate a commitment to global cooperation.
However, fellow CDU politician, Jürgen Hardt, defended participating in the G20 summits, stating their inherent value and the importance of technical coordination. Hardt suggested that the presence of heads of state wasn’t always essential for productive negotiations, asserting that a capable political representation could adequately fulfill the necessary role and that Merz should not forego the opportunity to engage constructively. The differing views highlight a broader debate within the German political landscape regarding the balance between symbolic gestures and pragmatic diplomatic engagement and the appropriate handling of potentially strained international relations.
