Editorial: Ms Merkel on road towards term No 4

Photo: AP / Scanpix

The support by Christian Democratic Union (CDU) congress to its leader Angela Merkel, in Cologne yesterday, was remarkable indeed – 96.7 of the delegates in her favour. To this, add the more than half of Germans who, according to polls, would like the Chancellor in her third term to continue beyond the 2017 elections. Obviously, this is support undreamed of in lion’s share of Europe. 

Also, the support goes towards Ms Merkel’s foreign policy which, among other things, is showing that as led by the leader, the German society is shaking its remaining naivety regarding the Kremlin. Just before the congress, last Sunday, the newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag featured an interview with Angela Merkel where she was very straight in her analysis of Moscow behaviour in Ukraine, as well as its pressure regarding Georgia and Moldova. The words of Angela Merkel were in support of the sovereignty of said states, the free will of these nations.

Let us recall all the bitter predictions on how the Western, including big German business interests in Russia would keep it from any adequate reaction to Kremlin attack against Ukraine, an operation undermining the entire European security and the system of current international peace agreements thus far deemed as secure. The German society is rather oriented towards economic interests, they thought, and thus not ready to do anything that would endanger export gains. These predictions fell flat. And that’s no small feat.

In domestic policy, the Chancellor badly needs strong support by the people and over there it’s somewhat more critical than in several other states in Europe. Namely, though the rest of the world would see the Chancellor as a firm-handed leader of a major European power, she doesn’t quite have the authority others imagine – due to the peculiarities of the German political system.

Just a part of policies are under federal authority, majority of decisions regarding everyday life passed by the states (the Länder). In their ministries, government members are quite independent. The two houses of the parliament are not overly inclined just to simply pull the same cart, the word of a court is heavy at enforcing the law. Etc. Wrote Ambassador Mart Laanemäe: «In this situation, there’s not much left for the Chancellor to do but to lead the government meetings and provide general guidelines for government policy.» (Postimees AK of September 21^st 2013).

In this system, a Chancellor must be a remarkable negotiator and able to command a wide range of political knacks to actually be effective. Angela Merkel, headed to her fourth term at office, has verily proven to be a lady of utmost craft.