Pragmatism and brave policies have sustained her so far, but her possible fall could have a dire impact on the whole EU
Angela Merkel’s political obituary has been written many times since last year’s bruising federal election, when her centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) slumped to 33% of the vote. Since then, the fortunes of the CDU – and its sister party, Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU) – have continued to decline. If today’s state election in Hesse goes as expected, it will be seen as another crushing, possibly fatal, rebuff for Germany’s chancellor.
Merkel has survived this long because she stands head and shoulders above her rivals. In office since 2005, and serving a fourth term, she is widely regarded, inside and outside Germany, as Europe’s de facto leader. Clear political principles, exemplified by her brave, open-door migration policy and willingness to stand up to Donald Trump, coupled with a pragmatic sense of what’s possible, have sustained her this far.
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