Merkel caught between two fronts

In the eyes of business paper Hospodářské Noviny German Chancellor Angela Merkel is caught between two fronts in the dispute over German politician Erika Steinbach, head of the Federation of Expellees. Steinbach's insistence on being made a member of the advisory board for the planned federal foundation "Flucht, Vertreibung, Versöhnung" has met with opposition not only in Poland but also from German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle: "In the grand coalition with the Social Democrats Merkel found an elegant solution to the problem by having her former [social democratic] foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier exercise his veto [against Steinbach]. Now she's trying to circumvent the problem. She offered Steinbach the post of Secretary of State [in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research], a position endowed with a monthly salary of 9,000 euros and an official car, but she declined. … If the federal government backs Steinbach it risks worsening relations with Poland. If it abandons her it will incur the wrath of both the Federation of Expellees and the CSU [Christian Social Union - Bavarian conservative party]."

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