Trudeau to meet Angela Merkel in Germany, address European Parliament
OTTAWA — Next week’s meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be a symbolic affirmation of their shared values in the Donald Trump era, says Germany’s envoy to Canada.
Trudeau’s Berlin visit with Merkel, arguably Europe’s most influential politician, comes as the EU tries to deal with the ascendance of Trump and his protectionist, inward looking “America First” foreign policy.
It’s part of a four-day European tour that will also take Trudeau to Strasbourg, France to address the European Parliament, which is expected to vote to ratify the Canada-EU free trade deal next week.
Trudeau is expected to give a strong pro-free-trade address, but his meeting with Merkel could carry even greater weight.