After the tensions of the George W. Bush era, the new US president's approval ratings among Germans skyrocketed. According to a Pew Research Center survey, 93% of Germans believed Obama would "do the right thing regarding world affairs." That remains a record to this day. Even in 2016, at the end of his second term, an extraordinary 86% of Germans still trusted Obama.
Meeting in Munich over the weekend, officials on both sides said they wanted to continue to work together. In the world of geopolitics all eyes were on Southern Germany over the weekend where the Munich Security Conference (MSC) served as the latest make or break moment for Germany-US relations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered the event's opening speech in which he acknowledged that a rift has opened up with the US, and urged trans-Atlantic partners to repair and revive trust.
Departures have been suspended at Berlin Brandenburg Airport on Thursday morning because freezing rain has made it impossible to de-ice aircraft, an airport spokeswoman has said. The disruption has affected air travel in the German capital as the national weather service warns of dangerous icy conditions, although landings initially appear unaffected. What Berlin airport advised passengers to do? Passengers were told to expect flight cancellations and significant delays.