Abroad, Merkel has no need to demonstrate that Germany is a big country in Europe; her partners are fully aware of this. But it is also more than just a normal country: Germany remains central to holding together the two international institutions that will continue to assure its well-being, the European Union and the Atlantic alliance.
在国外，默克尔没有必要展示德国是欧洲大国；她的伙伴们清楚地认识到了这一点。然而，德国也决不只是一个寻常国家：它在维系两个会继续保障它的福祉的国际机构—欧盟和大西洋联盟—方面也是举足轻重。有迹象表明默克尔在这一点上的认识比施罗德深刻。人们只能希望这一认识会成为她在进行艰难决策时的指向标。这样的决策是在风格改变不足以应对形势时所必需的。