| Author (Person) | Carnegy, Hugh |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Financial Times |
| Series Details | 15.3.12 |
| Publication Date | 15/03/2012 |
| Content Type | News |
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President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said on the 14 March 2012 that that Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, would not, after all, appear with him at any of his 2012 election campaign rallies – a move firmly in line with a sharply critical tone adopted by the French President on the European Union in recent days. In a subsequent commentary feature Tony Barber writes that a national election is 'when a nation takes a snapshot of its evolving political identity and renews its social contract by electing its leaders. At such a uniquely delicate moment, a politician visiting from abroad will always find it difficult to fit in. The lesson from the aborted Sarkozy-Merkel initiative is that this remains true even in an integrating Europe. History and political culture make the differences between German Christian Democrats and right-of-centre French politicians, especially those of Gaullist descent such as Mr Sarkozy, too glaring to be easily ignored. The dawn of pan-European politics is not yet upon us'. |
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| Countries / Regions | France, Germany |
