The first traffic barricades in Berlin were already up last week in preparation for the first official state visit by an American president since German reunification. But then came the news from the weatherman and President Biden himself: Hurricane Milton was bearing down on Florida, and Mr. Biden’s visit would need to wait.
The wait was not long, but the rescheduled visit that takes place Friday will not be the grand celebration that German officials originally planned.
Mr. Biden will meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in what could be the last trip to Europe of his presidency. He will then participate in a multilateral meeting with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain to discuss strategy for the war in Ukraine.
The speed with which U.S. officials rescheduled the visit underscores Mr. Biden’s desire to get to Germany as the end of his term approaches. The president is seeking to show solidarity with a key ally, Mr. Scholz, who has stood with Mr. Biden on key issues — and who praised Mr. Biden’s mental acuity and fortitude this summer, amid pointed calls for the president to end his re-election bid.
The visit will also highlight the strength of a German-American alliance that Mr. Biden has worked hard to rebuild after four years of erosion under former President Donald J. Trump.
Mr. Biden, who arrived Thursday night, will board Air Force One to return home before dinner time on Friday, spending less than 24 hours on the ground in Germany.
The original visit was meant to be filled with pageantry honoring Mr. Biden. Much of that has been scrapped, including an official state luncheon, which itself was a pared-back version of the large dinners that usually mark ceremonial visits from heads of state.
The new schedule could provide a boost for Mr. Scholz, who has struggled with sagging approval ratings at home but who has become one of Mr. Biden’s most visible and reliable allies on the global stage.
Still, the trip is proof of the importance of Germany, and of Mr. Scholz, to the American president. In a speech to lawmakers on Wednesday, Mr. Scholz said that Mr. Biden “symbolizes an incredible improvement in cooperation in recent years.”
The German-American partnership has been especially crucial in support of Ukraine, and Germany was instrumental in securing the release of Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist held in Moscow for 16 months. Berlin’s involvement was crucial because it held the prisoner that President Vladimir V. Putin wanted in return for Mr. Gershkovich.
On Friday, support for Ukraine will once again be a featured topic, as the Western leaders are expected to discuss Ukraine’s future and its plan to achieve victory.
“It’s a very strong symbol to the Europeans, both Western and Eastern Europeans as far as Ukraine, that the political West is meeting here in a very visible way,” said Daniela Schwarzer, a former director of the German Council on Foreign Relations.
White House officials insist there will be a full agenda, with discussions on Ukraine, the Middle East and global trade, among other topics. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Wednesday that getting to Germany was a high priority for Mr. Biden.
The president, she said, “has felt very strongly about this trip, about one of our partners, allies, that has been steadfast, certainly, in partnership with — as it relates to Ukraine’s defense. And the president really wanted to make sure to go to Germany to thank Chancellor Scholz directly.”
Because of the brevity of his visit, Mr. Scholz had to forgo bestowing the rare honor of a full state visit (the last American president to receive that honor was Ronald Reagan in 1985). Instead, Mr. Steinmeier will give Mr. Biden a Medal of Honor.
Mr. Scholz has conveyed a special pride in his close relationship with Mr. Biden. “I look forward to his visit and I am grateful for the good cooperation between me and the American president,” he said on Wednesday.
But, while government officials praise the close U.S.-German friendship, many see President Biden’s visit as potentially the end of an era when Washington’s main focus was Europe.
“I think we in Europe have to be fully aware that the Biden administration was probably the administration most focused on trans-Atlantic relations,” said Anton Hofreiter, a foreign policy expert and a member of the Green Party in the German Parliament. “Not least because Biden, simply on account of his age, is much more deeply rooted in trans-Atlantic relations than even Obama was and than all future U.S. presidents are likely to be.”
An unusual confluence of political events made the visit possible for Mr. Biden in the first place. He is a sitting president who pointedly tried to restore alliances following years of tumult under Mr. Trump, who is now seeking the White House again. But Mr. Biden, after mounting criticism from Democrats over his age and his performance in a debate with Mr. Trump, bowed out of the campaign in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
The withdrawal left Mr. Biden with some time and flexibility on his hands — and some allies, like Mr. Scholz, to thank. Mr. Biden has already made visits to England and France as president, but not to Germany.
“He’s leaving the political stage and part of his legacy will be: Europe is an important and strong partner,” said Andrea Römmele, a political scientist and a dean of the Hertie School in Berlin.
Though a visit by a nearly-retired president will garner much less hype than former President Barack Obama did (while campaigning in 2008, he drew crowds of an estimated 200,000 people in Berlin), it comes at an opportune time for Mr. Scholz.
The chancellor and his three-party coalition are under increased pressure from mainstream opposition and several extremist parties, which got a boost in recent state elections over everything from migration to a stalled economy. An appearance with an American president could help stabilize Mr. Scholz’s support, especially as his party decides whether to send him into next year’s election as the candidate for chancellor.
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