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Politics

Quadriga - The Queen in Germany - Don’t mention the Brexit

June 25, 2015

Queen Elizabeth II has received a warm welcome in Berlin. The trip is seen as something of a charm offensive on behalf of British Prime Minister David Cameron's controversial EU reform plan.

https://p.dw.com/p/1FnXx

The Queen is at least as popular in Germany as she is back home in Britain. Her trip is supposed to remind Germany what's at stake in Britain's forthcoming in/out referendum on EU membership.

Deutschland Queen in Berlin bei Merkel
Image: picture alliance/empics/I. Jones

David Cameron hopes to get German Chancellor Angela Merkel on board for his plan to shift more power back to nation states. Something he needs in order to back staying in the EU.

But will the Queen's undoubted charm be enough to sway Germany's EU-centric political elite?

Have your say: Quadriga[at]dw.com

Our guests:

18.06.2015 DW Quadriga Herrmann, Ulrike
07.05.2015 DW Quadriga Studiogast Leithäuser, Johannes
25.06.2015 Quadriga David Charter

Ulrike Herrmann – is an author and a journalist with the Berlin-based daily the Tageszeitung. She says, “Let’s not get carried away. The UK will stay in the EU. If they don’t, London will lose its standing as a financial hub, and Britain is dependent on the City.”

Johannes Leithäuser – writes for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, where he was also London correspondent for five years. On the Queen’s visit, he says "Welcome home: the Royals are Germans anyway!” On the EU, Johannes says, “I would like to keep them in, but there’s a real danger of Britain leaving.”

David Charter - Berlin correspondent of the Times of London, who has published two books on Britain’s future in the EU: in or out? ”British EU membership makes sense,” says David, “but there are drawbacks in terms of democracy and sovereignty that need to be addressed.”