The German ambassador in Washington suggests in his report to Berlin that he expects Donald Trump's second presidency to significantly undermine the system of democratic checks and balances in the United States, German news agency dpa reported on Sunday.
In a confidential diplomatic memo, Ambassador Andreas Michaelis writes that "the legislative power, law enforcement, and the media will lose their independence and will be used as a political tool, while the largest tech companies will gain co-governance of the state."
According to dpa, the memo was sent to the German Foreign Ministry and Chancellor Olaf Scholz's office in Berlin last week. It was obtained by several media outlets and published in Germany on the eve of Trump's inauguration.
Michaelis notes that he expects Trump to "try to concentrate power in his hands at the expense of Congress and the states."
His policy of maximum disorganization, destruction of the established political order and bureaucratic structures, as well as plans for revenge ultimately mean a revision of the constitutional order, the ambassador is convinced.
The German Foreign Ministry stated that it generally does not comment on internal documents, including analytical materials and embassy reports, emphasizing that the U.S. is one of Germany's most important allies.
"Americans voted for President Trump in democratic elections. We will work closely with the new U.S. administration in the interests of Germany and Europe," dpa quotes the German Foreign Ministry's statement.