Where's Angela?

The German economy is the biggest in Europe and the fourth-largest in the world. Yet Germany is not showing leadership in the crisis summits, writes The Economist.

The Economist

Its economy is the biggest in Europe and the fourth-largest in the world. It is the world’s biggest exporter of goods. It has just slumped into a recession. Remarkably, it is still (just) running a budget surplus. Yet through all the recent weeks of crisis-driven summitry, little has been heard from Germany. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of the past three years, has been notable mainly for her invisibility. ...

A louder voice from Germany is desirable not just because it has more scope than others to borrow and spend. It is also needed to bolster Europe’s belief in competition and free markets. Mr Sarkozy is by no means the only politician in Europe to have seized on the financial crisis as an excuse to question the wisdom of laissez-faire and to advocate a bigger role for the state. As someone who grew up in communist East Germany, Ms Merkel has more reason than most to be wary of such an idea. ...