One can be a president at 75 years having survived two dictatorships — and after all this, still sits on a leather flame-colored chair in the Oval Office feeling like a schoolboy. On the eve of the  bilateral meeting with the Barack Obama, German President Joachim Gauck noted that "the dream of his life will be fulfilled at last." And now sitting next to the most powerful man in the world, Gauck looks starstruck.

 

Obama met with the German President at the holy of holies on Wednesday. After all, only greatest political leaders are entitled to visit here. US President got well prepared for the meeting with his guest. Before their private meeting, Obama spent almost seven minutes paying tribute to the President of Germany in front of cameras and microphones. He mentioned Gauck' s work during the last years of the GDR and his work as a Federal Government Commissioner on preserving Stasi archives, saying that it was "a great honor to welcome him here." Obama's aloof look last Wednesday can be probably tied up to his great concerns: Afghanistan and especially Syria.

 

It is especially remarkable how much valuable time he devoted to the Federal President: their meeting lasted for an hour, much longer than planned, and was followed by a lunch with Vice President Joe Biden and a meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry later on.

 

Germany becomes increasingly powerful in Washington 

 

The program of a visit prepared for Gauck by Obama and his team, is a powerful signal to Berlin: Germany's image grew significantly in Washington recently. The White House administration is very closely monitoring the role of Berlin in Europe, and relationships with Germany are more important for the US than ever before. Actually, the phrase which was popular in Washington — you never know who to call if you want to learn something about Europe, illustrates how frustrated the United States has been with this Europe. This has changed. 

 

Be it migrant crisis, debt debate, or Greece, thanks to Berlin the White House is aware of what is happening on the other side of the Atlantic. US President has telephone talks with the Chancellor Merkel; the Ministers exchange visits and coordinate their views on major topics. After Obama's visit to Berlin in 2013, this is his second meeting with the Federal President in two and a half years.

 

At the same time, Germany's serious doubts about the stability of the transatlantic partnership didn't sneak under Washington radar — and Gauck mentioned this in his speech in Philadelphia.

 

In recent years, many Germans expressed alienation to the United States; America is no longer as desirable as it was before, especially for the younger generation. Even Gauck, always being romantic when it comes to the United States, became hard-eyed in these latter days. Regular surveys show that Germans have distanced themselves from the United States. There are various reasons for this: the spread of US foreign policy at the beginning of the new millennium, and the new NSA spying scandal.

 

 

America has optimistic views on German-US relationships

 

Gauck certainly wanted to raise the question of surveillance at the White House; Obama, according to the meeting attendees, felt less desired developing this topic. The issue, of course, could have been resolved in a more elegant way. But most Americans believe that German criticism of the cooling of German-American friendship is excessive.

 

American analysis to the German counterpart: the relationship between the two countries is strong. During the meeting with the Federal President, Obama expressed intension to develop these relations. 

 

Behind closed doors, Obama reportedly touched on specific political topics: Syria, Iran, European migrant crisis. His message was: the White House would like more involvement and effort from Germany.

 

However, America is also to blame for the migrant crisis. In his turn, the Federal President would like more American support as well. This is not to say that American policy of recent years is not responsible for the tragic situation in the Middle East, Gauck said in Philadelphia.

 

Of course, this is a beautiful story: Gauck is the first Federal President who was welcomed at the White House during 18 years. Having arrived in Philadelphia on Monday, to a certain extent Gauck "moved" from one emergency to another. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, a speech at the University of Pennsylvania, a visit to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington; this country obviously means for the Federal President more than for his predecessors.

 

He said after the meeting with Obama, "Everything I experienced here, was full of emotion."

 

Yet Gauck can "bring" small success back to Germany. It was obvious from the talks that Obama sent a clear message to Gauck: Europe should not bear the migration crisis alone.