Furthermore, Angela Merkel’s decision to support the extraordinary European recovery plan following the pandemic is not just a "pivot to Europe" on the part of the Chancellor. Germany’s economic prospects have weakened over the past few years. Germany’s GDP growth is 2.5% this year, according to the latest forecasts of the IFO institute, which is twice less than the 5.3% growth in the eurozone.Such signals suggest that Germany’s "golden age" is coming to an end. The highly export-dependent German industry is feeling the full force of the contraction in world trade due to rising Sino-American tensions. The recentering of the German economy on the single market therefore requires it to fight effectively against the risks of implosion revealed by the pandemic.
"Germany will only do well if Europe does well". In other words, over these 16 years, Angela Merkel has made it possible for German interests to be in perfect alignment with the interests of Europe.
European unity at the expense of the courage to change
Merkel is a great European, but her will to preserve European unity in the midst of crisis has for too long outweighed her audacity to change. Even if Olaf Scholz, Merkel’s successor, is likely to continue her work at the European level, this new chancellorship holds out the promise for a reorientation towards Europe.
How can European unity be preserved after Merkel? She grew up in the East, in the "other Europe" that France has always had difficulty understanding and that has too often looked down to. Her personal background explains why Merkel has sought to maintain a constructive relationship with the governments of Poland and Hungary despite their discrepancies, especially when it comes to the rule of law.
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