Stinging criticism was aimed at what Özdemir called a joint strategy by Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CSU) and Die Linke, a left-wing party, for aligning against Europe to garner popular support, three weeks ahead of a general election.
Özdemir said he was disappointed by the absence of foreign policy or European issues from Merkel's campaign, three weeks ahead of the vote due on 27 September.
"Where is the chancellor? Why isn't she out there rallying opinion in favour of the EU?" Özdemir asked, adding: "This would not have happened under Kohl."
Not a Kohlianer by political orientation and a Turkish-Swabian by background, Özdemir quipped that Helmut Kohl, chancellor from 1982 to 1998, was a true supporter of the European Union. A staunch CDU man, Kohl became famous for implementing the euro currency in spite of objections from within his own party. "Imagine if we were going through this crisis without the euro," Özdemir asked.
Angela Merkel has endured a week of criticism for what observers see as a vacant political campaign in the run-up to the elections. To make things worse, an important political ally, Dieter Althaus, governor of the eastern state of Thuringia, resigned on Thursday after his poor performance in the local elections. A criminal conviction for killing a Slovak woman during a winter skiing accident has doubtless affected his ratings.
Özdemir is one of the German political scene's most ardent supporters of "a deeper and wider union". He says an EU foreign minister proposed under the bloc's Lisbon Treaty is a prerequisite if Europe is to get involved in peace processes such as that in the Middle East. "Even if, 'thanks' to the Brits, we cannot say 'foreign minister' but 'coordinator'."
To read the interview in full (in German), please click here.
