Merkel succession crisis in Germany leaves Europe leaderless, too

“We’ve been living off our past glories and achievements for a while, and slow to adapt to digitalization and AI and even the ‘Green Deal,’” said Sophia Besch, of the Berlin office of the Centre for European Reform.

Ms. Merkel, a Christian Democrat, is admired and even revered as a leader “who made everyone feel safe,” Ms. Besch said. “But her stagnation is getting mixed up with Germany’s, and it’s hard to decide how much is her and how much is the state.”

...“No one can imagine Germany without Merkel and no one seems up to the job,” Ms. Besch said. “There’s anxiety that stems from that, too.”