berlin donald trump victory shock america major partner around world perhaps nowhere blow painful germany country angela merkel come see bastion openness tolerance virtually every issue importance german chancellor confront russian aggression promote free trade combat climate change tackle tide refugees flee syria trump seem likely turn washington ally adversary invoke german chancellor name insult democratic opponent hillary clinton u.s. campaign call america merkel describe decision last year open german border hundreds thousands migrants insane although trump election see rejection political establishment liberal democratic value general represent personal blow merkel europe powerful leader heap responsibility time near announcement whether run record-tying fourth term chancellor next autumn despite toll 11 years non-stop crisis fight take merkel aid say trump victory britain decision june leave european union anything reinforce determination continue give challenge face europe beyond simply walk sunset would look bad sense responsibility say adviser germans fall love unite state since george w. bush invade iraq dozen years ago election barack obama 2008 see proof america capacity correct mistake obama hail heir john f. kennedy come divide berlin 1963 two years construction berlin wall begin reassure germans word ich bin ein berliner obama develop close relationship merkel eight years office make promise bittersweet farewell visit berlin week trump win herald hard break relationship grow extremely close cold war wobble germany refuse go along bush iraq war deride defense secretary donald rumsfeld old europe last week germany suddeutsche zeitung publish cartoon beam trump open jacket reveal message ich bin kein berliner berliner plaster across chest stop merkel restrain politician prefer small step giant leap try work brash trump ride victory dreamy promise make america great pragmatist maintain dialogue strongmen like vladimir putin tayyip erdogan crises germany relationship russia turkey merkel statement wednesday aftermath trump election tell set condition cooperation trump provocative message close ally democratically elect leader unite state germany america connect value democracy freedom respect law dignity man independent origin skin color religion gender sexual orientation political view say offer next president unite state close cooperation basis value merkel cabinet colleagues far outspoken foreign minister frank-walter steinmeier denounce trump preacher hate vice chancellor sigmar gabriel call pioneer international authoritarian chauvinist movement german press pull punch either cover spiegel magazine weekend show head grimace trump hurtle toward earth like giant flame asteroid title end world know one merkel big foreign policy successes chancellor rally european union disparate 28 member state behind sanction russia response intervention eastern ukraine trump follow promise forge close relationship putin transatlantic european front russia would crumble leave putin policy tatters merkel also drive force europe behind ambitious trade deal eu unite state know ttip transatlantic trade investment partnership agreement still negotiation phase seem sure die trump whose protectionist promise become reality would hit countries hard germany whose economic strength depend heavily openness global trade system nowhere would move toward renationalization dangerous former german foreign minister joschka fischer write week germany predict would pay high economic political price wave populism lead weaken even collapse eu trump presidency challenge germany number front climate fiscal policy defense spend financial regulation trump promise merkel veteran finance minister wolfgang schaeuble resist years take advantage ultra-low interest rate environment invest vast amount public money modernize infrastructure ironic week trump elect germany finalize 2017 budget model fiscal restraint long schaeuble able stick cherish schwarze null balance budget trump demand europe shoulder responsibility defense unclear one thing seem clear trump germany face big test since fall berlin wall suggest germany suddenly become new leader western world absurd dangerous raise expectations simply ever meet senior german official say trump pose daunt new challenge germany 's merkel