It was inevitable I suppose. Comparisons between Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher are starting to roll. Such comparisons seem ludicrous to me, but I’d love to know what our German readers, who are undoubtedly a lot better informed than I am, think of it:
“Think of Angela Merkel as German chancellor and Nicolas Sarkozy as French president, and an intriguing notion arises – could Thatcherism belatedly arrive in Germany and France?
As soon as one imagines it, qualifications flood in. Ms Merkel has some characteristics of the former British prime minister – notably support for more radical economic reforms than previous CDU leaders – but not the same implacable force. She will probably tone down reformist zeal so as not to frighten the voters, and in any case faces internal resistance from conservatives, including the CSU sister party.“
Seeing as how Merkel’s CDU party is Germany’s seconds social democratic party I think any comparasions between her and Thatcher are wishful thinking.
There were comparsions drawn between the two, several years ago but then Stoiber, of the CSU, the CDU’s sister party with a more social agenda, forced her to compromise on several issues making her appear weak – and unThatcher-like.
I think it’s still uncertain where her intentions lie.
Too late, the Jacques Chirac of 1986-88 was the French Thatcher.
The conservatives were the second social democratic party in the UK
Would that they still were.