PARIS, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel angered the German opposition Monday by failing to challenge President Jaques Chirac on his comments that France would consider a nuclear response to countries sponsoring state terrorism in the event of an attack.
Merkel dismissed the furor over the French president's remarks. "What the French president said is in complete continuity with France's nuclear doctrine," Merkel said. "It's about deterrence, there's nothing to criticize."
Chirac mentioned no country, but his remarks were seen in the context of the ongoing standoff between the West and Iran over the Tehran's nuclear enrichment program -- and drew a swift condemnation from Iran.
Britain, France and Germany have been negotiating with the Iranians on behalf of the European Union, with the support of the United States.
On Monday, Chirac did not respond to a question about whether France would ever contemplate launching a nuclear strike against Iran. Rather, he said, France's basic policy of nuclear deterrence was simply adapting to the times and new threats. "Nuclear weapons for us are in no way battle weapons," the French President said.
Earlier in the day, Tehran reiterated its vow to pursue its nuclear enrichment program despite Western threats of U.N. Sanctions. Iranian officials also repeated criticism against Chirac's nuclear remarks, calling them outdated.
Merkel was in Versailles, France, for talks with Chirac. Besides Iran, the two touched on Lebanon and efforts to deepen European political and economic cooperation.
Some analysts view Merkel as also playing a crucial role in keeping a unified European stance toward Iran.
"Whatever they do, their stance is only credible if they move as a team. The Europeans can only be effective if they have a unified stand," said Katinka Barysch, an analyst at the Center for European Reform, in London. "If they're splintered..then obviously their credibility will be gone. That's why it's so important that Chirac and Merkel agree on where to go forward from here."
Barysch also viewed Monday's meeting as a last-ditch attempt by Merkel to continue on the negotiation path -- and to ensure that Russia and China support, if possible, the European and U.S. stance on Iran.
"There is just this last-minute attempt perhaps to bring Russia on board, to bring China on board," Barysch said. "The threat to take Iran to the Security Council is only credible if there is a threat of sanctions behind it. And at the moment, Russia and China won't stand for that."
Germany's new chancellor is also placing her own stamp on foreign relations that is parting ways with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. In the meeting Merkel refused to support a waiver allowing France to cut its tax on restaurant meals. The two countries also do not see eye to eye on ways to revive the European constitution, after voters in France and the Netherlands rejected the charter last year.
And although Merkel says she wants to continue Germany's traditionally close relations with France, she has also emphasized forging closer ties with Washington, Britain and Eastern European countries. Despite the tone of unity and harmony struck by the two leaders Monday, experts predict bilateral relations will be nowhere near as close as between Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder.
"Merkel has actually reestablished Germany very quickly as a credible foreign policy actor," Barysch added. "Which is why she is now quite well placed to mediate in the Iran issue, where there are quite conflicting positions."
Martin Koopmann, Franco-German expert at the German Council of Foreign Relations, a Berlin-based think tank, told United Press International via telephone that while Chirac's comments won't affect day-to-day politics between the two leaders, they didn't help the negotiation process with Teheran.
"Not only have the Arabic nations taken account of the comments, but so did the Russians," he said. "But it's nothing new; he has made a similar statement in 2001, and it can be seen as part of the strategy to readjust the French armed forces, a process that has been underway since the mid-1990s." Koopmann said Chirac may have used the comments to elevate his international profile ahead of the elections set for next spring.
Merkel said that for the ministerial summit on March 14 in Berlin, Germany and France must come up with concrete ways of breathing life into the European project. "If Germany and France don't act as the motor, then Europe will stagnate," Merkel said.
But it might not be that easy to get the motor up and running, Koopmann said.
"Merkel has to achieve a difficult balancing act," he told UPI. "She has to push for solutions to questions so sensitive that hardly a French politician wants to touch them ahead of elections. The problem is that France's domestic government is seriously weakened, which makes it tough for any government dealing with Paris."
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy have both been to Berlin in the last two weeks in a bid to boost the partnership.
Still, not much was expected from the Verseilles meeting. Merkel is at the beginning of her time at the German government, and Chirac looks likely to near his end in Paris -- not a time to create a rift with one of your closest allies.
