What Germany thinks about Johnson, Brexit, Scotland and indyref2

From ridiculing it in satirical shows (yes, the Germans really do humour) to headlines like “Brexshit”, the country’s media – and many of its people – waste no time in sharing their thoughts about the UK leaving the EU.

And so it was no surprise that Brexit had a starring role in Düsseldorf’s Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) carnival celebrations.

This time, though, it was Scotland in the spotlight in the western German city – depicted, literally, running away from the Prime Minister.

The top half of Boris Johnson, clad in a Union Jack blazer with the words “little England” on the back of the collar, was set apart from his legs, which were dressed in a kilt and knee-length socks with the EU flag on them. It was a statement pointing out that Johnson and Brexit is causing the UK to fall apart. Legs-it, if you like.

There were gasps and laughs when it rolled by. “Schottland, Schottland!” a German man standing next to me shouted.

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As well as hundreds of thousands of visitors to Düsseldorf city centre for the procession, the parade is shown across TV stations in western Germany.

“The Germans watching this will say this was a great, big kick up the ass to Boris,” said Thorsten Shaar, 46, from Düsseldorf.

“Everybody in Germany is confused nowadays because they don’t know why England made this mistake [voting for Brexit]. The float was exactly what I think about this situation.”

Jacques Tilly, the creator of Düsseldorf’s satirical floats, has ridiculed Brexit (among many other German and international themes) in previous years.

One of his most famous creations was a sculpture of ex-PM Theresa May shooting herself in the mouth with a Brexit gun.

“Now Scotland leaving the UK is the next step,” said Shaar, mulling over why Tilly turned to the indyref for inspiration this year. “He thinks it’s important to show what might happen.”

“The designer came up with Scotland leaving the UK because it fitted in as the most up-to-date topic,” added Melvin Böcher, a carnival reveller from Cologne.

Ever since I arrived in Berlin three years ago from Scotland, the UK’s chaotic politics have been a big topic of conversation.

All the Germans I’ve spoken with express their sympathy for the Scots, many asking if the country is on its way to another independence referendum.

“I think the sentiment for Scottish people and the Scottish Government is very, very positive in Germany, much better than for the Westminster Government,” political scientist Bernd Hüttemann, who serves as the Vice President of the European Movement Germany told me.

“It’s seen as mainly an English decision to have Brexit. Brexit is seen as a complete mistake in Germany.”

Watching the bumbling scenes in Westminster from afar, it’s not difficult to see why the indyref is on people’s minds when they consider what’s going on across the channel.

The German media has been analysing this angle too, featuring stories about the First Minister.

“Johnson’s most dangerous opponent” ran a headline on an analysis about Nicola Sturgeon published in the Spiegel after the general election in December.

“The question now is how long Johnson can ignore the resentment in the north,” the article said.

It’s fair to say Sturgeon is viewed very positively among Germans.

That’s probably down to her efforts to encourage people from elsewhere to stay in Scotland after Brexit, saying she would “always make it clear that EU citizens are welcome”.

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It’s a huge contrast to the negative rhetoric from some MPs in the UK government against immigration.

Meanwhile, the Scottish government published a report recently offering its vision on the EU’s strategic agenda over the next five years.

It showed that Scotland wants to be taken seriously in Europe and on the world stage, rather than being closed off.

The Scottish government’s decision to open an office in Berlin in 2018 adds to the feeling that Scotland wants to be seen and involved in the future of Europe.

“Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t really do anything wrong,” said Hüttemann. “People don’t understand very much about the SNP [as a political party] but I think Sturgeon is seen as a positive person... unlike the British Prime Minister.”

“She’s seen as pragmatic and a bit like Angela Merkel who is still viewed very positively in Germany.”

Hüttemann believes that Scotland would “definitely” be welcomed back into the EU if independence were to happen in future. “I have no doubt about that,” he said.

Ultimately, of course, Germans are sad that the whole of the UK has left the EU and would welcome all countries back.

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“In my opinion, the EU is not perfect but there are more positives than negatives,” said Shaar. “I hope Scotland comes back to the EU. And I hope England will come back some time, too.”

But for now the big question in Germany is if Tilly’s satirical float is right: are Scotland’s boots made for walking?