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in the wake of Angela Merkel’s sweeping victory in September 22 general elections, European circles in Brussels are concerned that the Chancellor may have too much power in the EU, reports Süddeutsche Zeitung.
For numerous diplomats quoted by the daily, “Angela Merkel is unquestionably the number one, the real leader of the European Council. And there is no number two, and no stand-in.” The lack of a counterweight, explains an Austrian diplomat, is notably due to the situation of France —
The weakness of President François Hollande has meant that there is no one to modify the policy conducted by Angela Merkel in Europe, which, of course, is primarily designed to serve German interests [...] What demands can a president with poor economic indicators and waning electoral support actually make?
The idea that there is ”no alternative” to Angela Merkel, which notably provides the basis for the Chancellor’s remarkable success in her own country, ”has now become current in Brussels,” explains the daily. “If Merkel [...] wants something, the others have to accept it,” remarks a highly placed official at the European Commission.
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