German Chancellor Angela Merkel's authority within her conservative ranks is
slipping away just as Germany is experiencing its worst economic crisis
since the war. The center-left Social Democrats are already preparing
their campaign against a chancellor increasingly seen as weak.
There are moments when nothing protects against humiliation, not even
power. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was looking forward to a
pleasant evening last Wednesday. She had traveled to the Bavarian city
of Nuremberg to attend the opening ceremony of the International Toy
Fair. The Nuremberg Symphony had provided the music, and the event
organizers had expected the chancellor to be their most prominent
guest. But her enjoyment was suddenly cut short when Horst Seehofer
stepped onto the stage.
The broad grin on his face revealed his thrill of anticipation over
the jokes he was about to make at Merkel's expense. He began by telling
the audience about the large model railroad in his basement, a
miniature replica of the world. "I'm looking for a spot for the
chancellor at the moment," he said, inviting everyone in the room to
imagine him as the train's engineer, the man responsible for making
sure the trains are running, while little Angela stands on the
platform, looking forlorn.
The audience laughed enthusiastically.
| 
XML/RSS/RDF Newsfeed Syndication: http://freeinternetpress.com/rss.php
