Word: schmidt
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Reciprocal suspicions were aroused on the U.S. side when Bonn cautiously dragged its feet about reflating its economy in order to serve with the U.S. and Japan as a "locomotive" of the world economy. Schmidt stirred up other apprehensions about what Washington regarded as West Germany's self-centered approach to economic problems. A key example: Schmidt's vigorous campaign for the European Monetary System, which, except for the British pound, ties European Community currencies together within a narrow band of fluctuation. The scheme was originally devised as a protective measure for Europe against the gyrations of the dollar...
...fears that Bonn's assertively independent approach, which French Pundit Raymond Aron dubbed "Gaullism in a minor key," might prove a threat to Western solidarity. The first hint that West Germany might possibly be distancing itself from NATO was delivered by a leading figure of the left wing of Schmidt's own Social Democratic Party. Just as General Alexander Haig and other NATO commanders were warning about the Soviet Union's ominous military buildup, the S.P.D.'s parliamentary floor leader, Herbert Wehner, insisted that Moscow's moves were "defensive and not offensive." Wehner argued against the deployment of U.S. Cruise...
...Schmidt, whose personal commitment to NATO is unquestioned in Washington, managed to squelch Wehner and reassure his European allies. But the dovish words from S.P.D. leftists could not help raising the specter of a West Germany one day seeking a "special relationship" with the Soviet Union at the expense of the West, perhaps...
...Vienna, where Carter will confront Brezhnev face to face for the first time. Schmidt has met the Soviet leader twice, most recently in May 1978. Carter wants to elicit every tip he can: how to judge Brezhnev's moods, how to broach touchy subjects, and most of all, how to deal with his shaky, if not sinking, health...
...leaders meet, they find themselves in quite different political positions. Schmidt enjoys a popular support at home that is probably more solid than that of any other major Western leader. His approval rating is often as high as 70% in the polls, which he watches as closely as any other modern politician. Carter has not scored that well since his election. In terms of international prestige and influence, West Germany is certainly a nation on the way up. Many West Germans believe their country's ascendancy is due partly to a conscious decision by Schmidt to take up the slack...