Germany’s failure to lead the EU is becoming a problem
A weak chancellor and coalition rows are to blame
IN THE mid-2010s, as the European Union lurched punch-drunk from one crisis to the next, there was one constant. Germany, and in particular Angela Merkel, its chancellor, was the star around which the rest of Europe orbited. Southern European countries choked on the austerity they had to swallow as the price of their bail-outs; easterners wished Mrs Merkel had taken a tougher line on Russia after its annexation of Crimea in 2014. All had a point. Yet none had any way of working around Germany.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “The lost leader”
More from Leaders
How to ensure Africa is not left behind by the AI revolution
Weak digital infrastructure is holding the continent back
A global gold rush is changing sport
Fans may be cooling on the Olympics, but elsewhere technology is transforming how sport is watched
Can Kamala Harris win?
Joe Biden’s vice-president has an extraordinary opportunity. But she also has a mountain to climb
MAGA Republicans are wrong to seek a cheaper dollar
It is hard to cast America as a victim of the global financial system
Joe Biden has given Democrats a second chance to win the White House
If they are not to squander it, they must have a proper contest
Where would Donald Trump and J.D. Vance take America?
The anti-globalist MAGA enthusiast is more consequential than the average veep pick