Euphoria long gone as Germany’s Merkel marks one year in office

BERLIN –Angela Merkel has cut a convincing figure on the world stage in a year as Germany’s first female chancellor.

But at home, her government has lost its sparkle. Even though the economy is powering out of stagnation, Merkel’s “grand coalition” of Germany’s two biggest parties marked its first anniversary last Wednesday with its popularity sagging amid discord among the former rivals and a perceived lack of direction.”Expectations were very high,” said Lothar Probst, a political scientist at the University of Bremen.”There have been plenty of positive things, but they have been overshadowed by a public perception of grinding and creaking.”Merkel’s conservatives formed a coalition with predecessor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats after an indecisive election.The coalition has nearly three-quarters of the seats in parliament but limited common ground.From the outset, Merkel signaled a businesslike approach to tackling the ills of Germany’s biggest economy with her new partners, choosing mineral water over champagne to toast the coalition deal.The pragmatic and consensual leadership approach initially won her stellar poll ratings.She was helped by a flurry of well-received trips abroad in which she brought her own tone to German foreign policy – bringing renewed warmth to ties with the United States and a new firmness to relations with Russia.”In foreign policy terms, this government has certainly gained in profile – it has on the one hand picked up Schroeder’s policies …but Merkel also has made her mark – she has set a somewhat different tone,” Probst said.However, troubles at home, driven by the coalition’s constant need to compromise, have brought the government firmly back to earth.Critics charge that Merkel, who in opposition advocated far-reaching economic reform but now talks of taking “many little steps,” has projected a muddled image.”In one year, Angela Merkel …has not created a picture that tells us what this powerful woman wants,” the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel wrote on Monday.A protracted and ugly spat in the summer over a flagship reform of the health insurance system showed Germans a deeply divided government and highlighted rivalries within the governing parties.It ended in a messy compromise between two opposing policies that satisfied few.Schroeder, now retired from politics, charged recently that there is a “lack of leadership” in Germany.”I have my own leadership style,” Merkel shot back.”You will see: it is more successful.”The coalition also has stalled on deregulating the German labour market – once a prominent cause for Merkel.But the chancellor does have achievements to point to.Berlin is getting its budget deficit back under control after years of overshooting a European Union-mandated limit – albeit with help from an unpopular forthcoming rise in value-added tax.Unemployment is below 10 percent for the first time since 2002, while the government has launched a plan to raise the retirement age to 67 from 65 and is set to trim companies’ tax rates.The economy is expected to grow by 2,3 per cent this year, which would be its best performance since 2000.Outside Germany, Merkel was credited with helping broker a deal over the bloc’s budget at her first EU summit.This year, she sent German troops to Congo and, for the first time, the Middle East, where the country’s ships are patrolling in a UN force off Lebanon.Merkel will have another chance to shine as Germany takes the rotating presidency of the EU and the Group of Eight in January.But the spotlight is likely to remain on Merkel’s performance at home.One closely watched survey has shown Merkel’s approval rating slip from a sky-high 85 per cent in January to 55 per cent in late October.Polls over recent months have shown support for both coalition parties stuck below their disappointing scores in last year’s election.For lack of any practical alternative, most observers expect the government will serve its full four-year term.Nampa/APEven though the economy is powering out of stagnation, Merkel’s “grand coalition” of Germany’s two biggest parties marked its first anniversary last Wednesday with its popularity sagging amid discord among the former rivals and a perceived lack of direction.”Expectations were very high,” said Lothar Probst, a political scientist at the University of Bremen.”There have been plenty of positive things, but they have been overshadowed by a public perception of grinding and creaking.”Merkel’s conservatives formed a coalition with predecessor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats after an indecisive election.The coalition has nearly three-quarters of the seats in parliament but limited common ground.From the outset, Merkel signaled a businesslike approach to tackling the ills of Germany’s biggest economy with her new partners, choosing mineral water over champagne to toast the coalition deal.The pragmatic and consensual leadership approach initially won her stellar poll ratings.She was helped by a flurry of well-received trips abroad in which she brought her own tone to German foreign policy – bringing renewed warmth to ties with the United States and a new firmness to relations with Russia.”In foreign policy terms, this government has certainly gained in profile – it has on the one hand picked up Schroeder’s policies …but Merkel also has made her mark – she has set a somewhat different tone,” Probst said.However, troubles at home, driven by the coalition’s constant need to compromise, have brought the government firmly back to earth.Critics charge that Merkel, who in opposition advocated far-reaching economic reform but now talks of taking “many little steps,” has projected a muddled image.”In one year, Angela Merkel …has not created a picture that tells us what this powerful woman wants,” the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel wrote on Monday.A protracted and ugly spat in the summer over a flagship reform of the health insurance system showed Germans a deeply divided government and highlighted rivalries within the governing parties.It ended in a messy compromise between two opposing policies that satisfied few.Schroeder, now retired from politics, charged recently that there is a “lack of leadership” in Germany.”I have my own leadership style,” Merkel shot back.”You will see: it is more successful.”The coalition also has stalled on deregulating the German labour market – once a prominent cause for Merkel.But the chancellor does have achievements to point to.Berlin is getting its budget deficit back under control after years of overshooting a European Union-mandated limit – albeit with help from an unpopular forthcoming rise in value-added tax.Unemployment is below 10 percent for the first time since 2002, while the government has launched a plan to raise the retirement age to 67 from 65 and is set to trim companies’ tax rates.The economy is expected to grow by 2,3 per cent this year, which would be its best performance since 2000.Outside Germany, Merkel was credited with helping broker a deal over the bloc’s budget at her first EU summit.This year, she sent German troops to Congo and, for the first time, the Middle East, where the country’s ships are patrolling in a UN force off Lebanon.Merkel will have another chance to shine as Germany takes the rotating presidency of the EU and the Group of Eight in January.But the spotlight is likely to remain on Merkel’s performance at home.One closely watched survey has shown Merkel’s approval rating slip from a sky-high 85 per cent in January to 55 per cent in late October.Polls over recent months have shown support for both coalition parties stuck below their disappointing scores in last year’s election.For lack of any practical alternative, most observers expect the government will serve its full four-year term.Nampa/AP