Merkel Seeks Lead Role With European Pre-G20 Summit

[FarCenter]

Source: Deutsche Welle


German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seizing the initiative in facing up to the global financial crisis by hosting talks on Sunday with her European counterparts from the G20 group of the world's wealthiest nations.

With the prospect of German elections in September, clouded by the country's biggest economic downturn in 60 years, Merkel has stepped out of her previous inertia and summoned the heads of Europe's biggest economies to find common ground.

Sunday's talks are due to be attended by France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, who, together with Germany, form the European contingent of the G20 group of the world's 20 most developed countries.

The group's aim is to develop a common European approach to the crisis, ahead of a G20 summit scheduled in London on April 2. Merkel was criticized last year for not doing enough to pull Germany out of recession.

Mindful of how the German electorate will judge her crisis management skills come September, the chancellor is recasting herself as an international player to be reckoned with.

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Read more: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4044765,00.html

[tanyev]

1. She's no longer scared of being assaulted!

Merkel has high expectations of April's summit, which she has called an "essential" meeting. Buoyed by assurances from US President Barack Obama, the chancellor is expecting the summit to go a long way in setting up concrete measures.