Olaf Scholz is in Washington and has to wait. It’s there 10:12 a.m. local time. The German Vice Chancellor and his people are freshly strengthened from “Zeke’s Coffee” and want to set off on foot to their most important appointment of the day at the US Treasury. But then it doesn’t go any further: Of all people, the one woman who did not want to meet the German Vice Chancellor during his US visit is on the way with her convoy and is now blocking his way.
Olaf Scholz had already traveled to Washington on Wednesday – for his first visit to the USA since the new government took office there. Of course, he would have liked to meet Vice President Kamala Harris: for a handshake among deputies. Scholz in the White House, with the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States. Shortly before the federal election – that would have given nice pictures for the SPD candidate for chancellor.
Kamala Harris, however, was apparently aware of this – and reportedly politely canceled the German Vice Chancellor. As it became known from circles of the travel delegation, the US Democrat is said to have refused to interfere in the ongoing German election campaign by meeting with Scholz.
But Scholz meets with another colleague, the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. He talks to her about the global minimum tax for internationally active companies (“It is very important that we can now achieve global understanding”) and the new upswing after the corona crisis. What many reporters will probably remember, however, is that moment on the street shortly before – and the sad face of the SPD chancellor candidate as the column of the US Vice President drives by. Because of course the photographers are always ready – in good times, in less good times. And also this morning at 10:12 a.m.