There was something distinctly presidential about Angela Merkel’s European travels last week. The German chancellor met 15 other EU leaders on a whistle-stop tour of the continent. It is the kind of speed-dating diplomacy that US presidents often undertake, as they build consensus and reassure allies.
Ms Merkel’s emergence as the de facto leader of the EU is controversial. The Hungarians, Poles and Czechs are bitterly critical of her government’s policy on refugees. The Greeks accuse the Merkel government of driving their economy into the ground. The French and the Italians bemoan Germany’s insistence on austerity. Some Brits blame Ms Merkel for Brexit, arguing that she could have delivered a better deal on migration. Meanwhile, in Brussels there are grumbles that the German chancellor has pushed the European Commission to one side.
Ms Merkel has undoubtedly made her share of mistakes, particularly over the refugee crisis. But there is no other European leader with the authority and patience to forge the deals that are necessary to keep the EU together. And some kind of leadership is badly needed because the union faces at least six acute and interconnected problems.