Chancellor Angela Merkel is one of the more remarkable leaders in Europe today for her demonstrated willingness to stand by principles in foreign policy. Surrounded by cowardice in the SPD, who lambaste her for having invited the Dalai Lama to Germany, led by Frank-Walter Steinmeier who is one call away from carrying out the orders of Vladimir Putin, and business leaders like Wulf Bernotat who regularly berate the work of the European Commission to argue for Gazprom’s rights to put their direct grip on consumers, Merkel’s thankless stand on human rights stands out in contrast. From the IHT report “Merkel defends German foreign policy focused on human rights“:

Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her controversial policy toward China and Russia on Wednesday, insisting that it could no longer be separated from domestic policy. In a speech to the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of Parliament, to mark two years of the grand coalition of conservatives and Social Democrats, Merkel sharpened the explanation of her foreign policy.