European Union faces external and internal rifts

“If Pécresse wins, the world goes on, like Scholz winning in Germany,” says Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank. Center-left Mr. Scholz looks set to maintain many policies of center-right former Chancellor Angela Merkel. Post-Merkel Germany, while stable, will likely play a diminished role in Europe, Mr. Grant predicts. “The new government will take time to come together due to the difficulty of the three-party coalition,” he says.