Johnson receives Merkel: “We share the same values”

For his vision of a global UK, Premier Johnson needs partners. Germany is at the top of the wish list. The Chancellor was ensnared accordingly during her visit.

“We share the same values,” says Boris Johnson, “and a lot more.” The Prime Minister wants to turn his country into “Global Britain” after Brexit – but for this he also needs strong partnerships. And Berlin is at the top of the address list.

That is why the invitation to Chancellor Angela Merkel was sent to the country estate after Checkers. She is also a guest at a virtual cabinet meeting and can contact the government team directly.

Cabinets should meet once a year

We have big plans together, says Johnson. “We will intensify youth exchanges, we will initiate a new cultural dialogue, we are awarding a prize for German and British women scientists. And our cabinets will meet once a year in the future. This is the first time for us for us to do something like this. ”

Johnson wants to pour all of this into a new contract between Great Britain and Germany. Angela Merkel has no objection to this and speaks of a new chapter that will be opened after the British leave the EU: “We are very happy on the German side to work together on such a friendship treaty or cooperation treaty, which will then cover the entire breadth that also depicts relationships. ”

According to Merkel, the quarantine obligation could end

The first joint cabinet meeting is scheduled to take place next year. However, some topics cannot wait that long, for example the question of travel restrictions to protect against the delta variant. At the moment, travelers from Great Britain to Germany have to be in quarantine for 14 days – so-called free testing is not planned.

But that could change soon, says the Chancellor: “I assume that in the foreseeable future the double-vaccinated people will then also be able to travel again without going into quarantine due to the classification of Great Britain according to the German classification as a high-incidence area.”

“On the road map for a return to normal”

The British Prime Minister is pleased. Regarding the concerns in Germany about the Delta variant and full stadiums at the European Championship games in Wembley, he only says that they have a very clear stance: “The crucial point is that we have now built a large protective wall here in Great Britain. In our country, 85 percent of adults have been vaccinated for the first time and more than 60 have been vaccinated for the second time. And from the numbers we can see that high infections no longer automatically lead to a high number of seriously ill and deceased people Roadmap for a return to normal, “said Johnson.

It’s not just about sausage and vaccine

The British Prime Minister has put together a whole bunch of offers for this day to strengthen the partnership with Berlin. These foreign policy instruments also include: the Queen’s invitation to Merkel for afternoon tea at Windsor Castle.

Thomas Matussek, former German ambassador in London, says that Merkel and Johnson’s meeting was about much more than just sausages and vaccines: “It’s about future relations. Great Britain has often been our closest ally in the EU EU, for example in financial control, in the fight against bureaucracy and excessive centralism. There is now a gap and the question is how it will be filled. ”