The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, has called German Chancellor Friedrich Merz a ‘Nazi’ after the chancellor made disparaging remarks about the Brazilian city of Belém, which hosted the UN Climate Summit. Paes’ now-deleted social media post ignited controversy in Brazil, with other officials also expressing outrage at the chancellor’s comments. The remark was in response to Merz’s comments during a trade conference in Berlin, where he criticized the city’s climate efforts and expressed a preference for Germany over Belém.
Merz’s comments have sparked significant backlash in Brazil, with the country’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, suggesting that the chancellor only has himself to blame for not enjoying the city’s delights. The governor of the state of Pará, where Belém is located, also critiqued Merz, stating that it’s ironic for those who contributed to global warming to find the Amazon’s heat strange. Merz has defended his remarks, stating that Germany is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but critics argue that his comments were dismissive of Brazil’s cultural and environmental contributions.
In Germany, the Green Party’s Katharina Droge has criticized the chancellor’s image during his trip to Brazil as disastrous, highlighting the potential diplomatic tensions the remarks could create. While the controversy has not caused as much uproar in Germany, it has underscored the sensitivity of diplomatic interactions between the two nations, particularly in the context of climate and international relations. The incident reflects broader geopolitical tensions and the challenges of maintaining diplomatic decorum in cross-border political discourse.