Merkel's battles in her final years have implications far beyond Germany

THURSDAY'S German National Day has special significance, given its coincidence with the upcoming 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Yet, this year's event also comes at another key moment in the nation's post-Cold War history with Angela Merkel's long chancellorship now in its twilight phase after around a decade and a half in office.

She has long been the most important political leader in continental Europe, having been head of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 2000 to 2018, and chancellor since 2005. Indeed, in the era of Donald Trump, she has had solid claims to being the most influential leader in the Western world too, with the potential exception of Emmanuel Macron.

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