David Cameron and Angela Merkel's smiles belie disagreements

[Mosaic]

For all David Cameron and Angela Merkel's gooey talk, it was clear they had failed to change the other's mind on anything

Britain has been rude about Germany more or less constantly since 1945. But, by and large, the discourteousness has not been reciprocated. Sure, they were sniffy about our food and our football skills from time to time. Mostly, though, the Germans tried to be our friends. This week, in the run-up to the working lunch between David Cameron and Angela Merkel, the tide looked to be turning.

Volker Kauder started it. The head of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union grouping in parliament gave a speech on Tuesday saying that "all of a sudden, Europe is speaking German", guaranteeing himself a place on the Daily Mail's front page.

Friday's Bild continued the wind-up, proclaiming in bold font that "Europa spricht Deutsch, Herr Cameron!"

Then foreign minister Wolfgang Schäuble suggested the pound might not be long for this world. One day all of Europe will use the same currency, he mused, "and that might happen quicker than some people on the island think".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/nov/18/david-cameron-angela-merkel-smiles

[truedelphi]

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