Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BERLIN1105
2009-09-09 15:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:
FDP CHAIRMAN WESTERWELLE'S LITE AND DARK CAMPAIGN
how-toVZCZCXRO1655 PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHRL #1105/01 2521548 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091548Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5128 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 001105
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2019
TAGS: GM PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: FDP CHAIRMAN WESTERWELLE'S LITE AND DARK CAMPAIGN
PERFORMANCE
Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF STAN OTTO FOR REASONS 1.4
(B) and (D)
SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 001105
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2019
TAGS: GM PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: FDP CHAIRMAN WESTERWELLE'S LITE AND DARK CAMPAIGN
PERFORMANCE
Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF STAN OTTO FOR REASONS 1.4
(B) and (D)
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (U) Free Democratic Party (FDP) Chairman and Foreign
Minister hopeful Guido Westerwelle used a September 7
political forum in Essen to criticize the poor quality of
political discourse during Germany's election campaign. He
stated that Germany deserved a higher quality debate about
its future from the political parties. On Afghanistan,
Westerwelle said the FDP would continue to support Germany's
ISAF mandate but that the German government should withdraw
its troops as soon as their mission was completed.
Westerwelle also complained that the German media was
excluding him from a TV duel between CDU Chancellor Angela
Merkel and SPD Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier on
September 13. End summary.
WESTERWELLE: LET'S GET SERIOUS
--------------
2. (U) In a speech crafted to highlight Westerwelle's
political credentials in front of a senior and politically
astute audience, Westerwelle could not resist the temptation
to stray off topic and go into campaign mode. He made the
case for Germany's smaller parties, such as the FDP, to be
taken seriously by the German media, especially in an
election year. He criticized the German media for focusing
excessively on minor political scandals in its election
campaign coverage. ONE infamous example was SPD HEALTH
Minister Ulla Schmidt's use of a government vehicle for her
vacation in Spain. To make his point, he then criticized
Schmidt not for her poor judgment but for her poor management
of the HEALTH Ministry and the sad state of German HEALTH
care, which "too frequently casts the elderly out onto the
street." He received his strongest applause when he said
that twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the
end of the Cold War he did not want socialists or communists
in power in Germany. He said he was confident that a
majority of Germans supported this opinion.
3. (U) Westerwelle also painted a bleak picture of the
country's demographic challenges over the next twenty years
-- a topic which he asserted was never seriously discussed by
any senior German politician. He said that ONE of the
principal challenges awaiting Germany was reinvigorating its
education system. He called for greater investment of state
resources in Germany's schools and universities. Addressing
the economic crisis, Westerwelle refuted the notion that the
policies of his pro-business FDP were responsible for
Germany's economic malaise. He argued: "His party was not
even in power so how could they be responsible?" According
to Westerwelle, however, this false accusation is actually
increasing the FDP's allure since the electorate is
desperately seeking new economic and fiscal ideas designed to
stimulate Germany's economy.
WESTERWELLE: "UNFINISHED BUSINESS" IN AFGHANISTAN
-------------- --------------
4. (U) Westerwelle did not raise Afghanistan during his
speech, but during the question and answer session he was
asked whether Afghanistan will become a major campaign issue
over the next few weeks. Westerwelle responded that he hoped
this would not happen and praised Foreign Minister Frank
Walter Steinmeier (Social Democratic Party) for his
unambiguous statements in support of Germany's ISAF mandate.
He further noted that despite strong public opinion favoring
an immediate withdrawal of German troops from Afghanistan,
Germany has unfinished business in Afghanistan, especially in
the area of police training. Westerwelle said: "If Germany
does not stay the course then the Taliban would ultimately
take over, thus making terrorist attacks around the world
more likely, even in Germany." He criticized the government
for its lackadaisical approach to police training and pledged
improvements should his party enter government. The party's
ultimate goal, however, is for German troops to leave
Afghanistan as soon as possible but only once the mission had
been completed.
COMMENT: WESTERWELLE, BOTH LITE AND DARK
--------------
5. (C) Westerwelle was in a jovial yet feisty mood as he
took to the stage in front of a very large crowd of
influential and senior political and business leaders from
the Ruhr area, Germany's industrial heartland. During his
prepared remarks, he brimmed with self-confidence. He played
to the crowd with serious appeals and at the same time with
BERLIN 00001105 002 OF 002
funny stories, such as about an encounter he had with a
Communist Party leader in Shanghai and an experience he had
with a fellow airline passenger on a 6 a.m. flight. "Guido
lite" was making a rare appearance, and the audience found
him endearing. On the other hand, just as during his
performance at the German Council on Foreign Relations on May
4, 2009, Westerwelle chided some questioners for their
"slanted" and "mean" questions.
6. (C) This campaign performance illustrated a more general
characteristic: Westerwelle becomes defensive very quickly
and when challenged directly, especially by his counterpart
political heavyweights, becomes aggressive and dismissive of
other people's opinions. Like no other figure in German
politics -- with the possible exception of the Left Party
Chairman Oskar Lafontaine -- Westerwelle remains a polarizing
political figure. Germans either love him or hate him. End
Comment.
Murphy
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2019
TAGS: GM PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: FDP CHAIRMAN WESTERWELLE'S LITE AND DARK CAMPAIGN
PERFORMANCE
Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF STAN OTTO FOR REASONS 1.4
(B) and (D)
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (U) Free Democratic Party (FDP) Chairman and Foreign
Minister hopeful Guido Westerwelle used a September 7
political forum in Essen to criticize the poor quality of
political discourse during Germany's election campaign. He
stated that Germany deserved a higher quality debate about
its future from the political parties. On Afghanistan,
Westerwelle said the FDP would continue to support Germany's
ISAF mandate but that the German government should withdraw
its troops as soon as their mission was completed.
Westerwelle also complained that the German media was
excluding him from a TV duel between CDU Chancellor Angela
Merkel and SPD Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier on
September 13. End summary.
WESTERWELLE: LET'S GET SERIOUS
--------------
2. (U) In a speech crafted to highlight Westerwelle's
political credentials in front of a senior and politically
astute audience, Westerwelle could not resist the temptation
to stray off topic and go into campaign mode. He made the
case for Germany's smaller parties, such as the FDP, to be
taken seriously by the German media, especially in an
election year. He criticized the German media for focusing
excessively on minor political scandals in its election
campaign coverage. ONE infamous example was SPD HEALTH
Minister Ulla Schmidt's use of a government vehicle for her
vacation in Spain. To make his point, he then criticized
Schmidt not for her poor judgment but for her poor management
of the HEALTH Ministry and the sad state of German HEALTH
care, which "too frequently casts the elderly out onto the
street." He received his strongest applause when he said
that twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the
end of the Cold War he did not want socialists or communists
in power in Germany. He said he was confident that a
majority of Germans supported this opinion.
3. (U) Westerwelle also painted a bleak picture of the
country's demographic challenges over the next twenty years
-- a topic which he asserted was never seriously discussed by
any senior German politician. He said that ONE of the
principal challenges awaiting Germany was reinvigorating its
education system. He called for greater investment of state
resources in Germany's schools and universities. Addressing
the economic crisis, Westerwelle refuted the notion that the
policies of his pro-business FDP were responsible for
Germany's economic malaise. He argued: "His party was not
even in power so how could they be responsible?" According
to Westerwelle, however, this false accusation is actually
increasing the FDP's allure since the electorate is
desperately seeking new economic and fiscal ideas designed to
stimulate Germany's economy.
WESTERWELLE: "UNFINISHED BUSINESS" IN AFGHANISTAN
-------------- --------------
4. (U) Westerwelle did not raise Afghanistan during his
speech, but during the question and answer session he was
asked whether Afghanistan will become a major campaign issue
over the next few weeks. Westerwelle responded that he hoped
this would not happen and praised Foreign Minister Frank
Walter Steinmeier (Social Democratic Party) for his
unambiguous statements in support of Germany's ISAF mandate.
He further noted that despite strong public opinion favoring
an immediate withdrawal of German troops from Afghanistan,
Germany has unfinished business in Afghanistan, especially in
the area of police training. Westerwelle said: "If Germany
does not stay the course then the Taliban would ultimately
take over, thus making terrorist attacks around the world
more likely, even in Germany." He criticized the government
for its lackadaisical approach to police training and pledged
improvements should his party enter government. The party's
ultimate goal, however, is for German troops to leave
Afghanistan as soon as possible but only once the mission had
been completed.
COMMENT: WESTERWELLE, BOTH LITE AND DARK
--------------
5. (C) Westerwelle was in a jovial yet feisty mood as he
took to the stage in front of a very large crowd of
influential and senior political and business leaders from
the Ruhr area, Germany's industrial heartland. During his
prepared remarks, he brimmed with self-confidence. He played
to the crowd with serious appeals and at the same time with
BERLIN 00001105 002 OF 002
funny stories, such as about an encounter he had with a
Communist Party leader in Shanghai and an experience he had
with a fellow airline passenger on a 6 a.m. flight. "Guido
lite" was making a rare appearance, and the audience found
him endearing. On the other hand, just as during his
performance at the German Council on Foreign Relations on May
4, 2009, Westerwelle chided some questioners for their
"slanted" and "mean" questions.
6. (C) This campaign performance illustrated a more general
characteristic: Westerwelle becomes defensive very quickly
and when challenged directly, especially by his counterpart
political heavyweights, becomes aggressive and dismissive of
other people's opinions. Like no other figure in German
politics -- with the possible exception of the Left Party
Chairman Oskar Lafontaine -- Westerwelle remains a polarizing
political figure. Germans either love him or hate him. End
Comment.
Murphy