September 26, 2011
The new Bundesbank president, Jens Weidmann, used to be one of Merkel's closest advisers. Now, he is one of her staunchest critics over the euro rescue. He is strictly opposed to the European Central Bank's policy of buying up bonds from debt-stricken countries -- and is winning a growing number of allies for his cause. By SPIEGEL Staff.
Jens Weidmann knew what would happen, but he had to make the joke anyway. He owed it to himself and to his new position as head of the Bundesbank, Germany's central bank.
"Did you leave so much space between us on purpose?" he asked German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble with a cheeky grin. Indeed, the podium that had been set up for their joint press conference on Friday in Washington really did have generous dimensions, leaving enough space for two or three people between them.
Schäuble examined the distance between them. Then he answered, with a pained smile: "We did that because of your independence."
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