For a leader who has steered Europe through two economic meltdowns, a migration crisis and a simmering showdown with Russia, Angela Merkel’s final act as German chancellor may be her biggest performance yet.
Germany takes over the European Union’s rotating six-month presidency Wednesday as the 27-member bloc’s economy is forecast to contract 7.4 percent, the U.K. has left the bloc, and countries continue to struggle with the coronavirus. And that’s on top of an expected trade escalation with the U.S. that could involve new tariffs on billions of dollars of EU exports.
"We’re aware that Germany’s presidency comes with great expectations,” Merkel said in a weekly podcast Saturday.