A moment of intoxication

With Donald Trump elected to the office of president of the United States, developments are following their predetermined course, with the relationship between Washington and Berlin being sorely tested.

Some had maintained hope that the new president of the US would adjust to the reality that's been established for years. Trump, however, is battling and trying to overthrow this reality, treating it as something that's against American interests.

The informal NATO summit in Brussels and the G7 have dashed the optimists' expectations. Trump strongly criticized his European partners, including Germany, for being inconsistent with their financial obligations toward NATO. Germany's disappointment with this was to be expected, but less so was the audacity that followed.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's strong remarks at a Munich beer tent, that Europe cannot rely on...