Irish Examiner view: Who will guide Europe after Merkel?

Europe — and Ireland — remains at a crossroads

German Chancellor Angela Merkel walks past honor guards during her visit to Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Picture: AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic

As we embark on the final week of campaigning before next Sunday’s German federal election for the Bundestag which will indicate who is to replace Angela Merkel, it is no exaggeration to state that Europe, and with it, Ireland, is at a crossroads.

In the past seven days, EU president Ursula von der Leyen has been declaiming on European successes and setting out a vision of what we might expect in the future in certain key matters.