Germany and Europe: reluctant champions | editorial

Only a power as self-confident culturally and politically as it is economically can provide that sort of leadershipOur week-long portrait of Germany as the accidental empire has provided a fascinating deconstruction of the country increasingly thrust into a leadership role in Europe. This week we have exhumed the stereotypes, new and old, peered into the soul of the Swabian housewife and Angela Merkel, in that order, and glimpsed the future. The current crown prince is someone called David McAll...