Germany denies alleged Merkel comment on camps

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Germany denies alleged Merkel comment on camps
By MELISSA EDDY
The Associated Press
Friday, September 17, 2010; 7:30 AM

BERLIN -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office denied Friday that she had told French President Nicolas Sarkozy her country planned to evacuate its own illegal immigrant camps, after he suggested Berlin was planning measures similar to those undertaken by Paris.

Sarkozy, who has drawn widespread international condemnation for ordering the clearing out some 100 illegal immigrant camps, many inhabited by Gypsies - also known as Roma - told reporters after the European Union summit on Thursday that Germany planned similar action.

"Madame Merkel indicated to me her will to proceed in the coming weeks with the evacuation of camps. We will see at that point the calm that reigns in German political life," he said.

Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, flatly denied the chancellor had made any such remark, but refused to be drawn on what her reaction to it was.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/17/AR2010091701436.html

[pampango]

1. AFP: Sarkozy 'misunderstood' Merkel on Roma. "It would run contrary to the German constitution"

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jiZsIdrTE-veAQsMonTr5r5h9GIg

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's claim that Chancellor Angela Merkel had told him Germany plans to clear Roma camps is a "misunderstanding," Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Friday. "There was no such announcement by the chancellor. It would run contrary to the German constitution. I suspect that this was all a misunderstanding."

Sarkozy had made the claim after talks on Thursday with Merkel at a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels. Her spokesman swiftly issued a firm rebuttal.

Newspapers in Germany attacked Sarkozy Friday after his outburst, with one likening him to a "little child." "Instead of calming down the rhetoric on the mass Roma deportations, Nicolas Sarkozy behaved at the EU summit like a little child who has been caught lying and now petulantly insists he is telling the truth," said the Financial Times Deutschland.

Nevertheless, the paper added that "with his outburst, Sarkozy has actually done everyone a favour. If he had behaved diplomatically, then the issue of Roma in the EU would probably have vanished" but now EU leaders are forced to confront the issue.

[myrna minx]

2. He knew full well how loaded his claim was too.

Wow. What a piece of work.

[Iterate]

3. As much as I dislike Merkel, it's hard to imagine

she would have said that.

Sarkozy is on his way out regardless of how he reorganizes his cabinet or what discord he sows.

"Sarkozy prepares for a turbulent autumn as polls turn against him"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/25/sarkozy-polls-popularity-downturn

[Recursion]

4. I assume any German chancellor would be very sensitive about any talk of "camps"

Particularly for the Roma.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Note to the author:

They are Roma-also known by some as Gypsies. Some who are using the wrong term.