FT.com : The gambler who is betting on the constitution - by Wolfgang Münchau
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The gambler who is betting on the constitution - by Wolfgang Münchau
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, took two large calculated gambles at the beginning of Germany’s presidency of the European Union. The first was an emphasis on climate change, the second an attempt to revive the EU constitution. Not everybody thought this was a smart choice at the time. The first gamble paid off handsomely for Ms Merkel in political terms, no matter what you may think about the details of last month’s climate deal. I would expect the second gamble to pay off as well.
Ms Merkel has some personal qualities that matter immensely in this difficult process. She is a good listener, and talks straight but does not hector. A physicist by training, she has good attention to detail. Having grown up under the communist East German regime, she is better than most other west European politicians at dealing with central and east European leaders.
Labels: EU CONSTITUTION, Leadership, Merkel, Unity
