I have to say, I was a little confused by the headline on Charlie’s piece: “All you have to do is name a single thing the leader of the free world can do competently.”
Well, she speaks three languages, including Russian, which is not surprising, given her background, but that still isn’t easy. She earned a doctorate in chemistry. She was very effective in helping her party recover its reputation after the Schwarzgeldaffäre. She is very good at coalition-building. She provided competent, stable, predictable leadership during the European debt crisis and other challenges. Competence is pretty much her brand.
We’re going to miss Angela Merkel.