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But to make this happen Germany needs to wake up and more actively engage a uniquely sympathetic government in Warsaw. The prospect of something more than a rapprochement – a real, working alliance that takes the initiative on recasting the European Union, is taking both Poles and Germans by surprise.
The signal that a fundamental shift was under way came in a speech by Radoslaw Sikorski, foreign minister, in Berlin last November when he said Poland wanted more Germany in Europe, not less.
A Polish-German alliance building bridges between strong northern eurozoners and eurocandidates serves the core stability of the continent more than a flailing France. Irrespective of who is president, it is plain that France has been sapped by the crisis of the eurozone’s southern rim. Its authority has been trickling away.
Ms Merkel, helped by a new pro-Polish-German president, is said to be ready for a new Ostpolitik. Now is a good moment for her to show that Europe is not just about money and the feckless Club Med, but also about consolidating values and transcending history.
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