Europe’s centre-right leaders face a struggle

Major feature looks at the political difficulties facing Angela Merkel in Germany, Nicolas Sarkozy in France and Silvio Berlusconi in Italy.

All three face a plunge in popularity at home that coincides with austerity measures introduced to curb excessive state spending. Looming cuts in social spending, state subsidies and local services have seen a backlash among voters, and fierce competition for scarce funds.

At a time when members of the European Union are struggling to agree on new rules and a permanent crisis mechanism to stabilise the euro, leaders of the three largest economies in the common currency zone have been forced on to the defensive at home.