Elizabeth and Angela: Europe Icons and Powerhouses

 

Elizabeth is charming people into believing that an increasingly irrelevant country is still relevant and Angela aims at making an increasingly assertive country look less so.

Both ladies are plucky, resilient and highly respected in their own respective spheres. Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom happens to be the official head of state of several larges countries, all members of the British Commonwealth. As such, she counts an estimated 2 billion subjects. As the Euro Queen, Angela Merkel heads a more modest and virtual kingdom of 334 million people. Luckily, she is also the German chancellor, a much less stressful job which carries few irritations; currently her main concern is to shorten the leash of German spies who prefer to take their instructions from the CIA rather than from her.

In spite of their age difference, Elizabeth could be Angela’s mother, they look rather alike. Both are petite, just over 1.60 m, on the plump and frumpy side and have a similar taste for wardrobe formalism and colors. Blue seems to be Elizabeth’s favorite, but she can purposely select another color according to the event she is attending. Angela is very much a color maverick, the jacket of her signature pantsuit comes in many different and sometimes unusual colors. Her low-key, no-nonsense look is part of her strategy to project a reassuring plainness to the stressed Europeans.

                              The coat is green, must be St Patrick!

For decades, Elizabeth was a globe-trotting diplomat, visiting 116 countries without a passport but with her handbag glued to her arm. At 89, she has slowed down and leaves the royal representational business to her children and glamorous grandchildren. Since the beginning of the year, Angela certainly logged more miles than any other head of government, but she doesn’t carry a handbag. Her familiar accessory is François Hollande, the French president, a useful sidekick to reinforce that Ubermacht (dominance) is no longer a German obsession.

Elizabeth and Angela share many attributes, but they belong to different worlds.

Angela’s euro family is far more boisterous and troublesome than Elizabeth’s respectful subjects. Angela is more a fire fighter than a diplomat, she is called on to put out the fires set by her neighbor’s troublesome leaders, principally the alpha male and self-appointed tsar, Vladimir Putin, and the Greek gang. In January, and in full denial mode, Greece elected a bunch of lefties with big egos, no government experience and a knack to raise freeloading to an art form. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and publicity-obsessed finance minister Yanis Varoufakis keep acting recklessly and Angela’s patience is wearing thin.

        

                                                Angela and David

Elizabeth has survived many anni horribiles in the 1980s and 90s. Her troubles were mostly close to home and even by modern family standards, her family qualified as highly dysfunctional. The Windsors can pride themselves for having raised the UK divorce rate to stratospheric levels. Fortunately for Elizabeth, things have now quieted down. Her grandchild Prince William and his wife Catherine have restored the family’s good standing.

When learning that David Cameron was back in 10 Downing Street, Angela must have felt angst-ridden: new clouds were obscuring the not-so-blue European Union (EU) sky. Cameron’s splendid, although unexpected victory, will embolden him to ask for additional favors from the EU; if rebuffed, he may take Britain out of the EU by means of a referendum. Angela could have done without another spoiled brat. Actually, Cameron’s demands are not frivolous, tougher immigration rules and less generous social hand-outs, the other EU members should be advised to adopt them as they will go a long way towards propping up their feeble economies. Between the pesky Greeks and Grexit, Vladimir the Terrible and a possible Brexit, she has her plate full. To placate these high-octane guys, Angela needs to recharge her batteries. She may feel more relaxed in the company of the rotund François Hollande whose nickname is Flanby, a custard-type pudding.

 

    

                                            He is now inside

Waking up on May 8, Elizabeth must have felt relieved: she will not have to add another prime minister (PM) to her collection of 12. During her long reign, each prime minister was granted a weekly audience. Her first PM was Winston Churchill, a father figure who had time to groom her between passionate discussions about horses. The queen’s peace of mind may be short lived because of David’s hasty campaign promises. The EU referendum is a gamble; if Britain pulls out of the EU, a domino effect can be expected with Scotland leaving the UK ship, and the survival of the British Commonwealth coming into question.

Not a cheerful prospect for the Queen, not only does she lose her kingdom but her husband, Philip Duke of Edinburgh loses his title and may have to revert to his former one of prince of Greece and Denmark. To add insult to injury, by European Gotha standards, the prince is more royal than the queen his wife! At their next weekly audience, Elizabeth may advise David on how to draft his dammed referendum to make sure that she keeps her kingdom in one piece.

Ironically, David’s victory may bring Elizabeth’s and Angela’s worlds closer as both ladies will have to show savvy to keep their kingdom whole. They have their work cut out.