Merkel's Leadership during the Eurocrisis: The Role of Ideas

Journalists often note that Merkel is pragmatic, not dramatic. Many have commented on her propensity to make decisions at the last moment and her aversion to risk. Political scientists, on the other hand, consider the ability to construct a long-term vision and the willingness to take risks as important characteristics of leadership. How are we to understand Merkel’s leadership style? Analysts have argued that her approach to leadership can be tied to her gender, her training as a scientist, or her eastern background. This paper analyzes Merkel’s leadership during the Eurozone crisis. It considers, in particular, the influence of the role of ideas. Merkel came to the Chancellorship without extensive economic training and without the traditional West German commitment to the idea of a unified Europe. Her leadership style is often described as pragmatic and rational. Supposedly stemming from her training as a natural scientist, Merkel has been perceived as willing to experiment in her approach to policy. How well do these descriptions of Merkel’s leadership style fit with her approach to the Eurozone crisis? Were her responses governed by traditional West German foreign policy commitments or by scientific pragmatism or something else? This paper evaluates Merkel’s leadership in the crisis and considers the extent to which she may have been guided by ideas.