German Chancellor Angela Merkel is traveling to Washington, D.C., this week to discuss the financial crisis and climate change with U.S. President Barack Obama - two issues where Germany and the U.S. are deeply divided. In the new world order, Europe is looking increasingly irrelevant for the U.S.

When U.S. President Barack Obama recently met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Dresden, he did something completely unexpected in the middle of their conversation: He deviated from the program.

When high-ranking politicians meet, the program is one of the most important elements. It includes the agenda and the things a politician is expected to say. Chancellors and presidents like to stick to a program, because it gives them security.

In Dresden, Obama remained true to the program at first, but then he unexpectedly asked "Angela" why, exactly, she didn't want Turkey to be accepted into the European Union.

Merkel was taken aback. She had to think on her feet and quickly come up with an answer for an issue on which she had no pre-prepared comments.