“This is largely due to the arrogance of power,” continued the European official. “She mistakenly thought she could get away with anything. So, small mistakes are now being used against her. Like other officials cited in this article, the European official benefited from anonymity to speak freely about the powerful German politician within the Brussels bubble.
At the heart of the problem, two main forces could torpedo it in the post-election horse-trading.
France – whose relations with Germany are difficult – remains very ambiguous about its support, probably to obtain concessions, although it could see a late opportunity to reorganize the summit table. If she clears this potential hurdle of dissent in Paris, she will also have to wonder whether she can win confirmation from the new European Parliament, in which the far right will likely be a bigger player than today. Even support from his own center-right European People’s Party appears lukewarm.
The prospect of upheaval only appears to be growing after a series of slip-ups in recent weeks, EU officials and diplomats have said. This is quite a turnaround from earlier in the year, when she seemed rock solid.
“Von der Leyen’s periodic missteps, from Pfizergate to his trip to Israel, take on new meaning as we get closer to the elections,” said Alberto Alemanno, a law professor at HEC Paris. “They acquire a role model.”
“It means we are moving away from TINA – there is no alternative – to a situation that is more fluid and where we are essentially opening Pandora’s box,” he added.
Politices
