What to expect from the German presidency

On 1 January 2007, Germany took over the rotating EU presidency. Chancellor Angela Merkel has ambitious goals, most notably an EU agreement on what to do with the Union’s moribund constitutional treaty. She also wants progress towards a more efficient EU energy policy and closer links with countries in the former Soviet Union. None of these will be easy to achieve. To make the presidency look like a success, Germany may concentrate on endearing the EU to its citizens.