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German parliament leader slams populist policies pursued by some countries

Xinhua, February 13, 2017 Adjust font size:

Germany's head of lower house of parliament Norbert Lammert on Sunday slammed the prevailing populist policies pursued by some countries, a move interpreted by some local media as an obscure criticism against U.S. President Donald Trump.

Bundestag President Lammert sent urgent warnings to certain world political figures, saying that their "we first" policies and populist ideas might jeopardize international relations.

"Whoever calls for self-closure instead of world-openness will literally strap himself," Lammert said.

Lammert made the speech ahead of Germany's presidential election.

The Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) reported that Lammert was criticizing the U.S. President Donald Trump without mentioning his name.

In a spontaneous reaction, a large crowds at the Federal Assembly rose and applauded for Lammert, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.

German Federal Assembly met on Sunday and elected former foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the new German president, succeeding the outgoing President Joachim Gauck. Enditem