Germany complains after Merkel becomes butt of Sun joke
Agençe France-Presse - Wed Apr 19, 2:38 PM ET
BERLIN (AFP) - Germany blasted British tabloid The Sun for printing what were billed to be pictures of Chancellor Angela Merkel changing into her bathing suit.
"You can assume that the chancellor of course has an interest in resting when she is on vacation, spending time with her husband, relaxing and not being constantly exposed to the voyeuristic gaze of lurking photographers," deputy government spokesman Thomas Steg told reporters when asked about the pictures.
"But she decided quickly not to take legal action. She said the public judgment here in Germany of the publication of these photographs in British media is so clear that it is enough for her."
The offending images, first published in the top-selling Sun on Monday, showed a woman from behind with her buttocks partly exposed with the headline "I'm Big in the Bumdestag" in a pun on the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
Another showed Merkel from the front in a black swimsuit putting on a robe.
Steg noted German newspapers had been largely respectful in their coverage of the chancellor's recent holiday in southern Italy, which was limited to a few candid photos.
The German media savaged the latest attack from the sensationalist British press, which delights in taking potshots at London's wartime enemy, particularly ahead of the soccer World Cup which Germany is hosting this year.
"You're rotten to the core," wrote columnist Franz Josef Wagner in the mass-selling Bild.
"You showed my chancellor changing out of her bathing suit in your 'rottenest' paper. Shame on you. My chancellor's bottom is still more pleasant for me to look at than your whiskey-bloated ass-faces in London."
Wagner insisted that Bild, which is not known for its restraint, would never stoop to such depths.
"The only language you understand is the language of football. We would never show a photo of your queen in support pantyhose, we print football results. We'll give you a good thrashing at the World Cup, and we'll give you a good thrashing because of these photos. Revenge is sweet."
The center-left daily Berliner Zeitung said The Sun appeared to just be warming up with 52 days to go till the World Cup.
"The only information that can be gleaned from the accompanying article is that the chancellor has a bottom -- something which is perhaps new to Sun readers," its London correspondent, Sabine Rennefanz, wrote.
"After all the British are notorious for their weak knowledge of post-1945 Germany."
photos:
1. Britain's tabloid The Sun ran the Merkel photos under the headline: "I'm big in the Bumdestag." The paper added: "German leader Angela Merkel has pulled up her country's economy - and now she's pulling up her pants." (Photo The Sun)
2. German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press conference 10 April 2006. Germany blasted British tabloid The Sun for printing what were billed to be pictures of the German leader changing into her bathing suit(AFP/DDP/File - Wed Apr 19, 2:38 PM ET)
德國女總理被偷拍英國小報惹出麻煩
新聞晨報
晨報訊 17日，英國《太陽報》、《每日體育報》不約而同刊登了德國女總理默克爾更換游泳褲時被偷拍的露臀照，這幅德國總理更換短褲的照片在德國引發了軒然大波，不僅德國政府大感憤怒，甚至連德國小報也挺身而出，譴責英國小報的冒犯行徑：“英國佬在嘲笑我們的總理！他們到底從哪兒搞到了這些該死的玩意？”
據悉，這幅照片是現年 51 歲的默克爾和丈夫約阿西姆‧索爾到意大利南部度假時被狗仔隊偷拍到的。當時她穿著黑色緊身泳衣，在水中游泳嬉鬧。游泳後，披著白色浴袍的默克爾若無其事地在丈夫面前更換起了內褲，露出了臀部，沒想到這充滿隱私的一幕被狗仔隊拍了個正著。
這幅低級趣味的露臀照被英國小報刊登後，立即在德國引發了軒然大波，德國政府對英國小報的無禮行徑深感震怒，德國政府發言人托馬斯‧斯泰格譴責說：“這絕不是謙恭禮貌的英國紳士傳統，我們認為總理和她的丈夫都應該擁有自己的隱私權！”英國駐德大使館則試圖低調處理這起照片風波。
