
Angela Merkel arrived today in the European Council in a much better position than three months ago. After a very bleak autumn, where she had seriously damaged its capital of authority on the European scene, it has undoubtedly succeeded in repairing the bar.
The criticisms of selfishness and resignation crisis that she had to wipe have nothing based. His firm developed the first plan of stimulus, minimalist, a second, in January, bringing the total of the measures of the economy to more than 80 billion euros over two years. He introduced a premium generous case-sensitive (2,500 euros), which is largely to medium-sized manufacturers displacements French and Italian, for example. It has implemented a EUR 100 billion Fund to aid industry. The Minister of Finance has made understand that the Germany show of solidarity, if ever a small country in the euro area had to default. It has certainly slalomé between all the figures of rhetoric to say without saying, lest they trigger the terrible mechanism of the "prophecy prophecy." But the message is passed: the Germany is not the monster without heart leaving neighbours to disentangle, only of the extraordinary quagmire in which the world fell.

The eleventh Council of Franco-German Ministers last week, took place in the concorde. Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel showed a full convergence of views on issues on the agenda of the G20 of early April. A few days earlier, Paris had greatly appreciated the green light from Berlin to the European Agreement on reduced VAT rates, French request blocked for years by Germans worried to open a Pandora's box. Bruno Le Maire, Secretary of State for European Affairs since December, top flight germanophile, is working his sentence to rabibocher two capitals that have long multiplied battles and misunderstandings. This is for the Angela who laughs.
But there is also an Angela crying, this time on the domestic scene. The Chancellor is seriously called into question in his own camp. The regional barons panic to see intentions to vote for the CDU and its Bavarian sister CSU crumble of weekly. The Minister-President of the Land of Baden - Württemberg, Günter Oettinger, claimed a clear distancing from the Social Democrats. For many conservative voters, the State went too far in interventionism: they turn to the Liberals.
At the same time, pressure on the Chancellor increases with each new indicator which betrays the depth of the crisis. Exports plunged by 20.7 in January from January 2008. Industrial production has plummeted from 7.5 in January from December, the never-seen. According to Deutsche Bank, the national wealth could decline by 5 this year in the absence of recovery this summer. If ever this black scenario is true, the companies, which have so far limited social sensitive measures of partial unemployment, eventually terminate mass. Debate begins to climb on the relevance of the model of the country, too dependent on exports. Was so advised, for years, maintain wages under pressure, and so sacrifice domestic demand, to increase the competitiveness of German products The country, once so proud of his title of world's leading exporter, doubt now.
The economic front is not the only one to be undermined. Angela Merkel is also challenged on the grounds of the values. The Catholic current poorly made Chancellor, Protestant, put in issue, so supported, Pope Benedict XVI, in the case of Williamson. In the party, with some also accuse him of not most gallantly supported Erika Steinbach, President of the Federation of the expelled Germans in Central Europe after 1945, known for its radical positions. Approached to serve on the Board of a future centre on the memory of Germans expelled, she had to be waived, under pressure, including the Poland, where she is reviled. The controversy is mounted on the newspapers. The Germans are, admittedly, almost every day in their newspapers what question their values. A huge bonus that agreed by the leaders of the Postbank in abyssal loss, the dismissal of this supermarket cashier who has embezzled set to height of 1.30 euro bills. Not to mention the tragic massacre of Winnenden. The Germany has the blues, and hope to win in September, Angela Merkel will also make sense.