Merkel Win Could Kick Start EU Motor

A victory for German conservative opposition leader Angela Merkel in elections on Sunday could provide a kick-start to the stuttering Franco-German motor that has driven the European Union for decades, analysts say. "There's something mechanical today in the Franco-German relationship that needs to be given new legitimacy," said Jean-Dominique Giuliani, head of the Robert Schuman Foundation in Paris. Merkel herself has said the Franco-German motor would continue if she became chancellor, through she stated it would not be an "exclusive" relationship nor one directed against other EU members. Merkel signaled that she would maintain several foreign policy positions, including support for environmental protection and the International Criminal Court -- both issues that align with Chirac's views. She is vehemently opposed to Turkey's bid to join the European Union, which could please Chirac. Initially an enthusiastic supporter of Ankara's bid, he has become more ambivalent on the subject after the French electorate made clear its resistance to the idea. Merkel was also likely to continue the current government's soft-spoken approach on human rights in both Russia and China but stop short of echoing current German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's and Chirac's call to lift the EU arms embargo against Beijing. In the end, though, a long-awaited turnaround in the economic fortunes of the two countries may be the impetus to revive their partnership. "The basis of the problems in the Franco-German relationship are economic in nature," said Giuliani.