Merkel joins Poland and Czech Republic leaders who will not attend the opening ceremonies. These leaders are all people who grew up under Soviet domination so they all have first hand experience with a bully regime maintaining power over another country. Will this tip the balance for other EU leaders to boycott? The more important question is whether China will stick to its old ways or join the modern world in terms of both business and respect for human rights. They can do as they like but it's their choice. It is also everyone else's choice not condone China's actions.
Pathetic. You would think that someone who grew up in communist East Germany might show more interest in the plight of the people of Zimbabwe who live under a brutal dictatorship but human rights are apparently only for others. Gordon Brown is right to dig in and ask for European "leaders" to choose between Brown or Mugabe at the upcoming Europe-Africa summit. It sounds as though Merkel is hiding behind the failed "quiet diplomacy" program that has shown no results despite all of the talk from Thabo Mbeki.
Unfortunately this won't be the first time the EU has folded and given in to Mugabe, allowing him to visit Europe despite legislation that forbids his travels to Europe. Perhaps torture, starvation and political prisoners are OK in the new Germany and the new Europe.
