This really shouldn't come as any surprise. When the scope of the NSA's electronic communications spying program came to light, especially the existence of the 5-Eyes "partnership", it should have served as the proof the US Intelligence leviathan [specifically CIA] was the real shot-caller in ALL European politics and policy. Merkel even had to basically declare publicly that she didn't mind that her personal phone (along w/ every other phone she had) was tapped by US Intelligence after it came to light that they were, and had been, for years. And would continue to be.