Food & Climate
The German Chancellor made statements after returning from the UN climate summit COP30 that made it seem as though he had abandoned Belem, which angered the Brazilian President, who responded angrily to these statements.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sparked outrage with a derogatory comment about his visit to the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, saying that the delegation was happy to be back in Berlin from “this place”.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has triggered a diplomatic row with Brazil after making disparaging remarks about Belém, the host city of the COP30 climate summit he visited in early November.
Speaking at a trade conference in Berlin following his return, Merz suggested neither he nor any of his delegation wanted to remain in the Brazilian Amazon city, singling out accompanying journalists.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world,” Merz told the conference, according to a report seen by Food & Climate.
“Last week, I asked some of the journalists who were with me in Brazil: Which of you would like to stay here? No one raised their hands. They were all happy that, above all, we returned from this place to Germany in the night from Friday to Saturday.”
The president of the host country of COP30 responded
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva responded sharply, suggesting Merz should have explored the city’s cultural offerings before making his assessment.
“He should have gone to a pub, he should have danced, he should have tried the food in the state of Para,” Lula said.
“Then he would have realised that Berlin doesn’t even offer him 10% of the quality that the state of Pará and the city of Belém do,” he added while praising its “unrivalled” hospitality.
Belém Mayor Igor Normando called the chancellor’s comments “unfortunate … arrogant and prejudiced,” while Pará state Governor Helder Barbalho suggested Merz “probably did not know what he was talking about.”
The comments prompted fierce online criticism. Users accused Merz of rudeness, racism and displaying white superiority, with some demanding an apology and others saying he was no longer welcome in Brazil.
Brazilian media outlets also condemned the remarks.
However, some voices defended Merz’s statement, pointing to challenging conditions in Belém including extreme heat, heavy rainfall and poverty. The critics questioned the decision to hold COP30 in the city, an issue that had drawn criticism before Merz’s comments.
Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, who led Germany’s COP30 delegation alongside State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth, attempted to contain the fallout by posting positive messages about Brazil on social media.
Schneider shared photos from a jungle visit and praised Brazilian hospitality. “Brazil is a wonderful country with friendly people and good hosts,” he wrote. “Too bad I can’t stay longer after the COP”, according to “euro news”.
Brazil pushes for early COP30 climate deal
Brazil said on Tuesday it still expects to land a deal on some of the most contentious issues at the COP30 climate summit ahead of schedule, but conceded there were still wide gaps between countries on issues like fossil fuels.
The two-week summit (COP30) in the Amazon city of Belem has brought together governments from across the world to strengthen the complex U.N.
Framework underpinning global action to halt rising greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the damage caused by warming temperatures.
Host nation Brazil wants a deal agreed in two stages: one package on Wednesday, including subjects like cutting fossil fuel use and delivering promised climate finance that were a week ago deemed too thorny to even include on the formal agenda, and another wrapping up any outstanding issues by Friday.
Confirming that negotiators would work late into the night for the second day in a row, COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago said he still expected the first deal to be approved on Wednesday, but that it could be “very late”.
The conference is due to end at 2100 GMT on Friday, according to “Reuters”.