Angela's Merkel's Dismissive Response To 'Vile' Brexit Sabre-Rattling Is Perfect

The government is accused of using a “revolting” reference to the Nazi Kristallnacht in a briefing blaming Germany for the Brexit deadlock.
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We’re just 18 days from the end of the Brexit transition and the prospect of the UK defaulting to damaging no deal trade terms with the EU, and Boris Johnson still hasn’t got a an agreement.

So what does his government do? Blame Germany, of course.

A breathless front page splash in the Mail on Sunday blamed the country’s chancellor Angela Merkel for holding up an agreement.

And it quotes a government source saying Merkel was “determined to make Britain crawl across broken glass” rather than reach a deal.

'Broken glass' on the front page. 'Authoritarian' on the inside. I wonder if there's some kind of godforsaken dog whistle these people are trying to blow. pic.twitter.com/t2E6JNpvKF

— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) December 13, 2020

On the inside pages, she is described as “authoritarian” and “unyielding”, in coverage that has attracted outrage for its apparent “dog whistle” references to the Nazis and the Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass) pogrom against Jews in 1938.

The comments have been described as “vile”, “revolting” and “reprehensible”.

So offensive of Johnson to brief journalists saying Merkel would make us crawl across broken glass. He knows the hurt this causes because of Kristallnacht. A deliberate act from the British Prime Minister. Utterly reprehensible.

— Bill Esterson (@Bill_Esterson) December 13, 2020

Under Thatcher a minister was forced to resign for saying the EU was ‘a German racket to take over Europe’. Now the prime minister himself briefs a far more offensive line to the Mail on Sunday, accusing Merkel of putting Britain through a new Kristallnacht

Vile and revolting

— Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis) December 13, 2020

So, asked about the British sabre-rattling over the weekend, how did Merkel respond? With pure sass, of course.

Put to her that “the UK press” was blaming her for the lack of progress in Brexit talks, she said: “Aha, that’s good to know.

“I’m not negotiating at all.”

Cool as you like.

Told that the British press is blaming her for the lack of progress in EU-UK negotiations, Merkel replies: "Ah, that's good to know. I'm not negotiating at all." https://t.co/fImtGmcBz5

— Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) December 13, 2020

It all comes a day after Johnson was accused of behaving like an “English nationalist” with an “irresponsible” decision to put Royal Navy gunships on standby to protect British waters from EU fishing trawlers if there is no Brexit deal.

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