Germany 'not a surveillance state', says Angela Merkel

[NeverSayDie]

Germany 'not a surveillance state', says Angela Merkel

German chancellor Angela Merkel urged the US to abide by her country's laws on privacy as she faced questioning over the NSA surveillance affair at her traditional summer press conference.

The chancellor said her government was waiting for answers from the US Photo: Getty Images

By Jeevan Vasagar, Berlin
2:47PM BST 19 Jul 2013

The chancellor said that Germany was not a "surveillance state" and that counter-terrorism measures had to be kept in balance with preserving citizens' freedom.

While she avoided direct criticism of the US government, she said: "On German soil you have to abide by German law." The opposition Social Democrats have attacked Mrs Merkel over the NSA affair, seeking to capitalise on public disquiet over the revelations ahead of German elections on September 22.

The chancellor said her government was waiting for answers from the US to detailed questions and hoped to receive them "as soon as possible".

An opinion poll published last week showed a majority of Germans do not believe their government's claims that it was unaware of US surveillance in Germany.

However, the affair has done little to damage Mrs Merkel's party in polls of voting intentions.

During the press conference, the chancellor also rejected a second write-down of Greek debt, saying this would lead to "massive insecurity" among investors in the eurozone, and that other countries might seek a similar deal.

Her words reinforced those of German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who called for an end to speculation about a further cut in Greece's debt burden, during a visit to Athens on Thursday.

In early 2012, the face value of Greece's debt to private creditors was slashed in half. High unemployment and a poor economic outlook this year increase the likelihood of a further write-down of Greek debt, but Germany's leaders appear anxious to postpone this debate until after their elections.

In answer to a question about her use of technology, the chancellor disclosed that she has an iPad that she uses to check information such as authors' dates of birth or geographical facts about countries – and to read German tabloid Bild.