Do you like the government?

I like your government too. And Angela Merkel in particular. I wish we had someone with her credentials and qualities.

@GlassDog: Awww! That's sweet!!
Yes, I appreciate Angela Merkel too. She is the "Iron Lady" for me.
To be honest: There are also in our politics things which I don't like at all (currently our refugee politics). But in generally I am really content with my government. :-)

@AliceSalomon: She does seem like she commands respect from the other European leaders too. It's strange about your refugee politics. Germany is much admired here for their stand, and I feel the UK is letting the rest of Europe down. I've felt ashamed since the Brexit referendum.

@GlassDog: I am more or less agree with you about Merkel. What I don´t like about Merkels refugee politics is this: First of all she has said: "Refugees! You are welcome! You are welcome!" Most of Germans even where not so much agree with her refugee poltics but I was!
But do you know what: On 24th September there are elections in Germany. And now, where elections are coming closer, more refugees are getting deported. That´s what I don´t like!
But well, that´s more or less the only thing where I really get furious at the moment.
And you don´t need to be ashamed because of the Brexit referendum. Only because Great Britain has done the Brexit this is no reason for me to hate the British people. :-)
Furthermore: All countries are doing sometimes things in politics where not all their people agree with. :-)

@AliceSalomon: I agreed with her previous policies too, and thought it was very brave of her to implement them. How can we let fellow humans suffer just because of where they were born?

However, I wonder if this has backfired on Merkel, increasing support for NPD. And now to backtrack on that, to try to win back support, she has alienated people like you who were loyal to her.

I know Europe is anxiously watching the French elections in the coming weeks and then the German elections later in the year to see how much far-right populism has taken hold. Thankfully, the Dutch didn't trust Geert Wilders. Hopefully the same is true of the French and Marine Le Pen.

As for Great Britain, I feel like we've done considerable damage for the future of Europe and it's not what I wanted. I think of myself as a European first and British second.

@GlassDog: As I´ve told you already before I am more or less 100 % agree wth you. But you don´t have to be worried about racist parties in Germany like Republicans, AfD or NPD. Sometimes their support is increasing a little bit but not as much as that it could be dangerous. Yes, to be honest: The support of AfD was for a time really increasing, but now they have so many problems in their own party that they have lost already many, many of their supporters again - thank goodness!
And yes, I always was loyal with Merkel and I will continue to be in future loyal to her too. But this doesn´t mean that I will vote for her again and I will tell you my reasons.
Merkel was and is a good politician - without question!
But her "opponent" Martin Schulz will be still a little bit better than her, I guess. He was in the EU before and has still many, many and good contacts to EU - and these contacts will help to protect us because of Trump because I think Trump loves nothing more than to destroy the EU.
Of Course I can´t speak for all Germans but many of us are afraid that Trump will start a war and that he will involve Germany anyhow in this war. And although I think that Merkel is a good politician I think she is "too soft" with Trump.
That´s and because a lot of refugees get deported at the moment whom she has said "You are welcome!" before - these are the reasons why I won´t vote this year for her.
But nevertheless I respect her a lot, and also Merkel and Schulz respect each other - although they are political opponents. What I mean like this: They don´t offend and insult each other as it was in the American election.
And I also know: Even when Schulz will lose, I will respect Merkel and what she is doing. The only thing I really hope is that she won´t give Trump more "sugar in his tea" as she did until now. This man is very dangerous and need to hear a clearly "No! Stop!" from Germany!
I also appreciate it a lot that you think of yourself as a European first. I am starting since Trump is the president of USA to think more and more of myself as a European first and as a German second. Reason for this is because I see how Trump want to destroy our great Europe. 😡

@AliceSalomon: That's true. I think the rise in support in Germany is less of an issue because your governments have recently usually formed coalitions and the majority parties seem unlikely to want to deal with the far-right.

I know it looks like Trump wants to break up the EU, but I wonder in whose interests it really is to do that. It seems much more beneficial to Putin to have a weak or non-existent EU (and NATO). We're a thorn in his side in terms of Russian expansion.

When you then look at how the Russians reputedly hacked the American democrats servers in order to influence the election, and that Trump appears to have very little political acumen and certainly no idea of how to be a statesman, it wouldn't be so crazy to imagine that Trump himself is being manipulated by Russia.

Whether there's any truth that Russia has blackmail material which could incriminate Trump is something else entirely.

Either way, Germany is now incredibly important as the powerhouse of the EU and I wish we were standing beside you more strongly than we are.

@GlassDog: Thanks for your words. Although I am only "a very small person" in politics I will do my best together with all the other Germans who are with me to keep the EU now as it is. :-)

@AliceSalomon: I hope recent events have been just a blip and the the EU continues on its path (with the UK as part of it again, at some point in the future).

@GlassDog: I hope so too.
I am not so much worried about the elections in Germany. Even when Merkel will win the elections again so I will be just a little bit worried (because of her behaviour to Trump) but I won´t be too much worried because I am pretty sure that no racist party will win in Germany. I am just really worried about the elections in France. Well, we will are going to see the result when it´s over...

@AliceSalomon: We were told by voting experts that polls may show a radical choice before the election but - on election day - people tend to revert to the safer option. In that case, Le Pen should not win. But they told us that about Brexit.

@GlassDog: I don´t trust any polls anymore. The same was with Trump. Polls said he won´t win. And now a jerk is heading the destiny of the Divided States of America. 😡