4 ms·

As a Brit I have to chime in to say we deserve at least some of the 'credit'...

• allendoerfer 10y ago
  As a German I have to thank luckily timed elections [0] and a chancellor Schröder, who I imagine could not believe his luck to get served both an upcoming war and an historic flooding [1] while campaigning. He thanked good, put on gumboots and a rainjacket, and won even though Germany was called the sick man of Europe [2] under his chancellorship. 3 years later his party lost so much support that he semi-lawfully dissolved the parliament, campaigned, made a huge comeback and had the balls to tell Merkel on live television on the evening of her victory, that his party will never collate with her and she will not become chancellor - legendary show [3]. Well, 11 years later Merkel is still chancellor, his party back-paddled many of his policies and is nearly dead (<20%). [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_federal_election,_2002#Issues_and_campaign https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_federal_election,_2002#... [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_European_floods#Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_European_floods#Germany [2]: http://www.economist.com/node/209559 http://www.economist.com/node/209559 [3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYs4CjWMkIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYs4CjWMkIM