lol! Trust Thatcher to set the scene for Europe. I was at a boarding school in the U.K. when Thatcher was first elected. The whole experience was awesome eventhough I was too young to really understand it at the time. Thatcher made some major waves in the U.K. I remember the VAT being introduced and more. The U.K. , up to that point in time, was rather a socialist country. I've a lot of respect for Thatcher. Plus I think Mrs Thatcher was secretly in love with Reagan! lol (just kidding). I hope Merkel has the balls and the vision as Thatcher did.
Btw, Tori's (U.K. conservative party) nickname for Thatcher was/is "Hilda". That is her middlename.