A German Business Federation Criticizes the German Ambassador in the United States, Andreas Michaelis, for his public comments. “A diplomat should not express himself in such a way” said Christoph Ahlhaus, the chairman of the Federation of German Industries, the BVMW, in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Friday edition).
Ahlhaus is currently on a trip to the United States, where he is trying to ease tensions in the trade dispute and advocate for transatlantic economic relations. German Ambassador Michaelis had warned of a potential maximum disruption and erosion of the rule of law in an internal report that was leaked to the public.
“The American public was not only upset, but so were German companies and economic representatives” Ahlhaus criticized. The behavior of the German ambassador has caused head-shaking among German entrepreneurs and business leaders, he added.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on European Union imports, which could severely affect Germany’s export-dependent Mittelstand. “Therefore, Germany must all the more strategically advocate for its own interests, rather than simply criticizing the new presidency” Ahlhaus demanded.