In praise of die Kanzlerin

Some kind words for Germany's re-elected chancellor, from a recent NYT piece by Alison Smale:

For her part, Ms. Merkel is clearly fascinated by foreign travel. As an East German, she could explore only the Soviet bloc and would have been permitted to go west for good only as a 60-year-old pensioner. She nurtures export opportunities; phalanxes of business figures have accompanied her on six trips to China, where she always lingers long enough to explore a different province outside Beijing. (By contrast, French news reports last spring noted that President François Hollande’s first visit to China included a perfunctory 36 hours in the capital.)  ...

Ms. Merkel is also a keen observer — her eyes scan every room and interlocutor — and she soaks up knowledge that peppers her speeches: South Korea spends 4 percent of its gross domestic product on research and development, while European Union countries lag behind their goal of 3 percent; Indonesia skillfully paid down its debt; China might soon view Germany only as the birthplace of Beethoven.  ...

Mr. Schwennicke cited six reasons for Ms. Merkel’s longevity: she does not overestimate herself, reads people and situations well, cares for power but not its trappings, inspires loyalty in good people, tries not to give away her intentions, and is quick.

And Stefan Kornelius believes that the very attributes which make her a poor campaigner make her a great leader:

She is not a fascinating speaker, though in private she is highly engaging and even funny. She rarely makes a bold move, and even on minor issues she is cautious and thinks through the possible consequences over and over again. 

The paradox is that such weaknesses on the trail are strengths in office. The chancellor’s signature mark is her deliberate, argument-driven, boring, clinical policy style. She takes a problem, cuts it into pieces and tries to find a solution, often heavily technical and always very detailed. 

During the height of the euro crisis, this calm and deliberate style helped her, and though she has her critics, she is arguably responsible for saving the euro zone.