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The Week in Germany: Current Affairs

June 22, 2007

Survey: Europeans Want Strong Leadership from Merkel

European Leaders: Merkel and Barroso

As a successful German Presidency of the European Union draws to a close, Chancellor Angela Merkel has emerged as the most popular politician in Europe. Twenty-eight percent of the electorate in Europe believe German Chancellor Angela Merkel should assume a strong leadership role in the European Union, a survey conducted by Germany's Bertelsmann Foundation showed.

This puts Merkel at the top of the list of politicians that Europeans would like to see flex their leadership muscles. Following Merkel in terms of popularity was European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, with 20 percent.

The German chancellor's popularity was highest in her native country, where she scored 58 percent. In France 36 percent of those interviewed hoped she would assume a strong leadership role.

Europeans also expressed a desire for a more prominent role for EU leaders in general. Some 47 percent of the 13,840 respondents in 14 of the 27 EU member states felt the EU needs more leadership from individual politicians, while 32 percent said they did not believe there was a leadership deficit.

This vote of confidence from the EU electorate comes in the wake of several major achievements under the German EU presidency. Speaking in Berlin last week, Merkel highlighted the historic commitment to 20 percent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 as evidence that the EU member states were closing ranks to take decisive action.

At today's EU Summit, the chancellor is working to persuade her EU colleagues to adopt a new treaty to replace the Treaty of Nice.

Links:

Chancellor Merkel on Constitutional Treaty: Europe is at Stake

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