Lula says he’ll eat sauerkraut in Germany after spat with Merz
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Sunday he will dig into traditional German dishes during an upcoming visit to the country, as he and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz try to digest a recent diplomatic spat.
“When I arrive in Germany, I will eat sauerkraut, pork knuckle, sausages from the market stalls,” Lula said at a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
“Because I don’t travel to another country to eat feijoada,” he said, referring to the bean stew considered Brazil’s national dish.
Lula and Merz used their time together at the summit to smooth over a row that erupted with the German leader making disparaging comments about Belém, the Brazilian city that hosted this year’s UN climate talks.
Lula said the chancellor had not been mentally present when he was in Belém for a quick 20-hour trip early this month: “He came to Brazil, but his mind stayed in Berlin.”
The tensions were sparked a few days after Merz returned to Berlin.
In a speech at a trade conference in Berlin on November 13, Merz said that he had asked the journalists accompanying him during his visit to Belém whether any of them wanted to stay longer.
Merz claimed that “no one raised their hand” and suggested that everyone was “happy” to have left Brazil and be back in Germany.
Merz later said that he only meant to convey that he considers Germany one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
But the remarks sparked a storm of controversy, drawing criticism from Belém’s mayor, the governor of Pará state and President Lula.
The German leader worked to mend ties with Lula at the G20.
After talking to Lula on Saturday, Merz wrote on X that “next time in Belém, I’ll explore more – from dance steps to local food and the rainforest.”
During that meeting Lula had offered Merz advice on which restaurants to visit in Belém and told him about local dances he should try, according to sources familiar with the talks.
Merz was said to have responded: “Great, next time we will go dancing together.”
Lula is expected to visit Germany in April.
