I remember that Merkel was marketed as Germany’s “conservative” alternative when she campaigned and won a couple of years ago. Apparently, that was a load of crap. She’s turned out to be weak. No wonder she is overshadowed by the energetic Sarko. So far, he looks like the real deal.
Merkel is a fish and neither left nor right. Apparently she wants to keep Turkey out of the EU but is all for continuing the negotiations. Apparently she is for a higher general self-responsibility but barely manages to reject the most outrageous leftist claims for higher welfare.
In her early days she was lauded for her silent style of governing after the Schröder years. I think that got to her head too much. She stopped leading and began moderating. Now she produces compromise after compromise. Actually she never lead and inspired the people.
That straw fire of an economic recovery Germany is currently enjoying isn’t due to any decisions she or her “conservative” CDU made. If any political actions contributed to it at all, it are those of her predecessor Schröder (Agenda 2010, Hartz IV).
Merkel is a nice, silent moderator. She would probably make a respectable diplomat. The chancellery is too large for her.