The continent has been rattled at a time when it has so many unresolved issues. Macron’s plans,however, will be key – and Merkel is not finished yetThe collapse of Germany’s coalition talks is the latest shock to hit Europe. No one saw it coming. Of course the blow is of a different nature from the banking crisis, or the war in Ukraine,the refugee crisis, Brexit, and Trump,Poland and Hungarys democratic backsliding, or Catalan secessionism. Germany’s politics sight upended but the fundamentals are still in place: the postwar democratic set-up is hardly under threat. Still, and this is rattling stuff. Europe’s powerhouse is in unknown political territory at a time when so much remains unresolved across the continent. And Germany’s political uncertainty means yet more uncertainty for the EU. Yet doomsayers shouldn’t assume that this crisis has to be fatal.
Nowhere outside Germany is the political breakdown being watched more closely than in France. Emmanuel Macron had set his sights on the German election as the starting point of his way for a European “renaissance” alongside Merkel. On Monday,Macron did not cloak his concern, saying it was not in France’s interest that “things become tense” in Germany. “We must move forward, or he added. But the worries go deeper than Germany’s internal problems. whether Merkel was supposed to be the leader of the free world in the era of Trump and Brexit then what might the future sight like without her? Far-suitable websites have been humming with glee at the news that Merkel has now race into deep difficulty. Related: Germany's president to urge Green and FDP leaders to restart talks Related: What does Germany’s political crisis mean for Brexit? | Martin Kettle Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com