Merkel's Authority Is on the Wane

[marmar]

from Der Spiegel:



Chancellor Angela Merkel's authority is being undermined by leading members of her coalition partners, the FDP and CSU parties, who have openly challenged her policy on the euro. There is growing speculation that her coalition may collapse, prompting a return of the right-left grand coalition of conservatives and SPD.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel dislikes putting her foot down to solve government disputes. She associates that form of exercising authority with ill-tempered men who use arrogance to make up for their lack of competence. And she thinks people who keep banging their fist on the table end up getting ignored in the long run.

But she can't keep quiet about everything that bothers her, which is why the chancellor resorted to a tentative rebuke last week. She didn't address Vice Chancellor Philipp Rösler directly, and yet she made it clear that she was indeed talking about him. She didn't say that he should stop playing with fire in connection with the euro crisis, but she suggested it. Rösler objected, and Merkel's cautious strategy fizzled out.

The events of last week have cast doubt on whether Merkel still has the authority to get her own way against her coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU). It is not just a matter of concrete policy, but also about how the euro crisis should be discussed, openly or behind closed doors, and what tone should be adopted in doing so. Everything is contentious, even within the innermost circle. In addition to Rösler, who also chairs the FDP, CSU leader Horst Seehofer and Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer, also of the CSU, have made skeptical remarks about the euro. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,787032,00.html

[lovuian]

1. Germany is not going to bail out Europe

Merkel if she continues support for the Euro will be gone