German foreign minister refutes US Republicans

By Michael Fischer Jan 21, 2012, 6:03 GMT

Washington - US centre-right Republican hopefuls for the White House in 2012 repeatedly paint US President Barack Obama as an ideologue determined to lead the nation down a destructive road to European-style socialism.

But German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, of conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet, on Friday criticized the harsh tone of their rhetoric and attacks on Europe.

'We finished socialism with the support of the United States of America 20 years ago,' Westerwelle said, referring to the end of the Cold War and the liberation of Eastern Europe from Soviet rule.

'I also believe that there are many people in the United States who do not support this harsh attitude against Europe,' he said.

Republicans are choosing their presidential candidate to challenge Obama in November. On Saturday, former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney were lead the field for the South Carolina primary.

The candidates espouse individual responsibility and reject labour unionism. They oppose Obama's health insurance reform, his 2009 job stimulus package, his bailout of the car industry, and his push to raise taxes on the very rich.

During the debates, they have characterized Obama's policies as socialist and point to Europe's financial crisis as evidence that government-sponsored social safety nets lead to fiscal ruin.

Westerwelle spoke out in support of the Merkel government's leadership in the financial crisis, saying that Europeans want a stable, long-term solution to the eurozone crisis.

'We think a debt crisis cannot be solved and cannot be answered by making it easier to take up new debts,' he said. 'Structural reforms which increase the competitiveness in the European Union are essential.'

Clinton praised Germany's leadership role in the crisis.

'We think that our European partners, led by Germany, have laid a solid foundation on which to build recovery,' she said.

Westerwelle emphasized the EU's resolve to pressure Iran with a new round of sanctions against its nuclear programme. On Monday, the EU is expected to enact an oil embargo against Iran.

'We have no choice but to pass tough new sanctions that address the financial sources of the nuclear programme,' Westerwelle said. 'The door for serious dialogue remains open, but the option of nuclear weapons in Iran is not acceptable to both of us.'

Clinton emphasized that the US expects to see additional sanctions from the EU. But both foreign ministers declared that the door for negotiations remained open.

'We do not seek conflict,' Clinton said.

In a speech at the private Brookings Institute, Westerwelle warned against the return to nationalistic isolation in Europe.

'That is a prospect that we must decisively work against,' he said. 'Re-nationalization in a time of globalization is a dangerous concept.'

Most recently, the right-wing conservative of Hungary has provoked concern in the EU over its nationalistic direction, he noted.

Despite the growing importance of the Asian-Pacific region for the US, Westerwelle said he regarded the trans-Atlantic partnership as an important motor of progress.

'We must find new depths of resolve and bring new partners on board to reach a broader consensus,' he said.

Westerwelle's two-day visit to Washington included meetings with International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

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