Franco-German 'Merkozy' takes charge again at G20

Their muffled dislike of each other has long provided fodder for journalists and political commentators. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy had no choice this week but to once again close ranks, when Greek politicking forced them into justifying the eurozone's handling of its debt crisis before their Group of 20 (G20) partners.
Their endeavour to present a strong, united front during the now two-year-old crisis had already earned them the nickname "Merkozy." "It is perfectly normal that two European founding countries, the two largest European economies take the lead in defending European achievements," Sarkozy coolly told reporters at the G20 summit in Cannes, France.
But as with most politicians, there was some home-grown motivation at play too. Sarkozy had counted on hosting a successful meeting to turn around his support ratings, which had been stuck for months in the low-to-mid twenties in the run-up to presidential elections in the spring.
Opinion polls published in the week before the summit had shown his Socialist challenger Francois Hollande enjoying a lead of at least 10 percentage points. One poll published on the eve of the summit, however, showed Sarkozy gaining ground, scoring 30 per cent.
He had planned on using the summit to present himself as the best pair of hands on the tiller at a time of financial tumult. After all, he and Merkel had led the negotiations that produced a breakthrough accord among eurozone members on October 26-27.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's bailout referendum grenade upset those plans, forcing Sarkozy back into crisis management mode. "President of crises," the pro-Sarkozy Le Figaro newspaper labelled him in a headline Thursday, calling it "double or quits" for the French president.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Friday made a point of giving Sarkozy and his G20 team kudos for its "exceptional will and ability." The G20 president had also gotten an early boost from US President Barack Obama, who praised his "impressive leadership" on the eurozone crisis. Obama's agreement to share the stage with Sarkozy in a French television interview to be aired Friday evening was seen as a further honour for Sarkozy.
The US leader also doled out praise to Merkel, lauding "Angela's leadership" and her "practical common sense" in front of reporters. The German chancellor's efforts on Friday also won her the moniker "Angela Merkules" in the German daily Bild. With the words "we are prepared," Merkel on Wednesday smashed the taboo that there was no way for Greece to leave the eurozone.
Europe will not be blackmailed was the message she delivered, after an evening crisis meeting with Papandreou over his surprise proposal to have his country's voters decide the fate of an austerity-laden second international bailout. Once criticised for hesitantly blocking decisions - earning her the media nickname of "Madame No" - the sternness Merkel displayed in Cannes came as Germans grapple with the question of why a country should be helped when it creates such difficulties for its partners.
Their chancellor has always maintained that if "the euro fails, Europe fails." But a soft push-back against Greece would have left Merkel with considerable political problems back home. Instead, her performance on the international stage has helped push the percentage of people who think she is doing a good job up from 48 to 57, according to a new poll by the broadcaster ARD. As the G20 summit came to an end on Friday, Sarkozy was in ebullient form as he listed the summit's achievements, including having pulled Greece back from the brink of a euro exit. "Europe had done everything to provide a credible response to the crisis," he said, magnanimously substituting Europe for Merkozy.