Some German commentators and politicians bought into the idea of Spitzenkandidaten because they see it as a way of replicating the German federal model at the EU level (NB: ‘federalism’ has a different meaning in Germany, where each level of governance is in theory neatly defined and held to account). It won’t work, but it is also an attempt by some Germans to make themselves feel more comfortable with their country’s dominant position in Europe. The great irony is obvious: whilst German commentators have been busy trying to drape ‘democracy’ in an EU flag, Europe has just become much more German.
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