EXPLAIN, ANGELA, EXPLAIN – AT 12:53 P.M. ET:  Angela Merkel is getting to be a pain in the neck.  She obviously considers herself the queen of the West, and regularly lectures President Trump.  But the G20 meeting she hosted in Hamburg was a mess.  From Bloomberg:

Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the decision to host the Group of 20 summit in Germany’s second-biggest city, promising government compensation for property damage in the wake of looting and rioting by anti-capitalist activists in Hamburg.

Speaking at the end of the summit on Saturday, Merkel told reporters that, from a pure logistical point of view, the two-day gathering had to be held in a large city, given the sheer number of leaders and guests needing housing. Hamburg was also chosen as a symbol of openness to trade because the city of 1.7 million is Germany’s largest port and richest state per capita.

Instead, the image seared in the minds of many Germans was one of violent clashes, which left more than 200 police injured and resulted in about 260 protesters being detained. Scenes of chaos, looting and burning cars have played out live on German television since Thursday, shocking many in a country known for its orderliness. Merkel, who is running for re-election in September in part on a theme of public safety, fielded several questions from German media at her closing press conference on the protests and response.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the unchained violence and unrestrained brutality that the police faced repeatedly during the G-20,” Merkel told reporters. “Apparently, there are people who have no interest in the issues and instead go on a rampage of blind destruction in their own neighborhood. Tough police measures are the only response to that.” 

COMMENT:  Merkel's tough talk had no effect on the rioters.  The imagery was terrible.  Add to that Merkel's vastly over-liberal immigration policies, and you have a toxic brew.   She is probably better for us than the opposition party in Germany, but her re-election is not assured.

July 9, 2017