After the Election: What Now Frau Merkel?
Andreas Kluth is editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global. He says: “Merkel is now in effect a lame duck and will get weaker as her fourth term progresses; but in a world of bullies and dictators and prima donnas, of Trumps, Kims, Putins and Erdogans, she remains our last best hope to save the liberal world order.”
Werner Sonne is a journalist and author who worked long time as a correspondent for the ARD network. He says: “While Europe wants her leadership more than ever, Angela Merkel first needs to seek common ground with her Bavarian sister party CSU before she can even think to start serious negotiations with the liberal FDP and the Greens – a task that is extremely complex considering the sad state of the CSU and her devastating election result.”
Pascale Hugues is correspondent for the french weekly magazine “Le Point”. She says: With a weakend Angela Merkel the fresh start of Europe, of which Emmanuel Macron is dreaming, might become more complicated.