The End of an Era
| DOI | 10.1177/20419058211022929 |
| Author | Peter Geoghegan |
| Published date | 01 June 2021 |
| Date | 01 June 2021 |
JUNE 2021 • POLITICAL INSIGHT 3
The End
of an Era
It is often said that all political careers end in
failure. But is that really true in the case of
the face of this issue’s cover, Angela Merkel?
Few leaders have dominated the political
scene like Germany’s ‘Mutti’. Merkel has been
leader of the Christian Democrats for more
than two decades. She has been the country’s
Chancellor since 2005.
In many ways, Merkel’s personal story
mirrors Germany’s wider one. Raised in East
Germany by a Lutheran clergyman, she earned
a doctorate in quantum chemistry, before
entering politics in the wake of the 1989
revolution that saw the Berlin Wall fall and
communism collapse across the Eastern Bloc.
In oce, Merkel has presided over a period of
German dominance on the European stage not
seen since the creation of the Federal Republic.
Berlin has become the most powerful political
capital in the European Union, while Germany’s
export-led economy has continued to set the
terms of the continent’s economic debate.
But where does Merkel’s departure leave
Germany, and German politics? Plotting the
political scene ahead of September’s key
Federal Elections, Charles Lees nds that her
legacy might be less permanent than expected.
Joe Biden’s election as US President has
reasserted Washington’s leadership on the
global stage, and his brave and ambitious
domestic reform package has starkly
exposed the conservatism and timidity of the
European political class over which Merkel
has held such sway.
Merkel’s legacy could even be a rst Green-
led national government. The Greens, led by
graduate of the London School of Economics
Annalena Baerbock, have been riding high in
the polls, with many German voters seeming
keen for a change after more than a decade
and a half of Merkelism.
If Merkel had a political polar opposite, surely
it would be Boris Johnson. Where she is serious,
diligent and thoughtful, the British Prime
Minister often appears ippant, distracted and
impetuous. But Johnson is like Merkel in one
crucial respect: political dominance.
May’s local elections in England conrmed
the Conservatives’ grip on power. The party’s
most eye-catching victory came in the
Hartlepool by-election, where the Tories
overturned almost six decades of Labour
control.
Many newfound Tory voters have cited
Johnson’s promise to ‘level up’ England. But
what does this mean in practice? In this
issue, John Tomaney and Andy Pike look
behind the headlines and nd a fragmented,
disjointed strategy.
Johnson’s success has, in part, been
founded on tapping into a growing sense
of Englishness. Ailsa Henderson and Richard
Wyn Jones nd that English national identity
is on the rise and in the process transforming
British politics.
May’s elections also placed the issue of
constitutional change rmly on the political
agenda. While Conservatives won council seats
across England, the Scottish National Party
won an unprecedented fourth consecutive
term in oce.
Boris Johnson has sworn to oppose a
second Scottish independence referendum,
but is this the best strategy for a harmonious
United Kingdom? Amid growing demands for
constitutional change, Michael Keating argues
that the greatest threat to the Union might
come from unionism itself.
Meanwhile, with calls for a border poll
in Ireland growing, Alan Renwick and Katy
Hayward report on new research on the
politics and practicalities of any future
referendum on Irish unity.
Boris Johnson is often described as a new
type of Conservative who can speak beyond
traditional Tory shires. But one area where the
Prime Minister has harked back to some of his
predecessors is the concern around cronyism
in government.
The Nolan Principles of Public Life were
introduced in 1995 amid a panic about ‘sleaze’
in John Major’s government. With recent
scandals engulng Johnson’s Downing Street
at and David Cameron’s lobbying, Sam Power
argues that the time has come to think again
about standards in British politics.
One constituency that Johnson has not
found favour with is British artists blocked
from touring in the European Union after
Brexit. Looking at Britain’s creative industries,
James Silverwood and Kiev Ariza argue that
they have beneted from targeted industrial
strategies that have often gone unrecognised
but will be needed more than ever post-Brexit.
Elsewhere, Nicolai von Ondarza explores
the power dynamics of the European Union
post-Brexit, and nds both newfound resilience
and challenges ahead. John E. Owens nds that
while Donald Trump lost last year’s presidential
election, the former President retains his grip on
the Republican Party.
Jane Duckett argues that the global
pandemic has strengthened the Communist
Party at home but damaged China’s
international reputation, while in the regular In
Focus slot, Benjamin D. Hennig maps the use of
capital punishment around the world.
If you would like to join the debates or
contribute to
Political Insight
get in touch or
visit www.psa.ac.uk/insight-plus.
Peter Geoghegan
Editor
Political Insight June 2021 BU.indd 3Political Insight June 2021 BU.indd 3 12/05/2021 15:3312/05/2021 15:33
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