It's not said that he can do it but the re-nomination of Angela Merkel to a fourth term as German chancellor it's a good sign. Faced with the walls of the current Anglo-American command line, the best response is continuity in the values of acceptance and integration.
That choice is not only the conditioned reflex of a Germany which, dominated by the Nazi past, cannot afford the slightest misstep on issues attributable to race. It is also a wise political choice. Merkel's eventual re-election would be the best thing for German and European democracy.
While here we squabble over questions of formal democracy (e.g. the sterile debate on the loss of constitutional rights available only on paper), in Germany the continuation of a policy for substantive democracy, as it ensures respect for the values of European citizens.
In fact, unlike the majority of British and Americans, Europeans from all over the continent (regardless of latitude and religion) believe in individual freedoms but also in respect and solidarity with those who are less fortunate (egalité, fraternité, liberté).
There are other Merkel policies that cannot be shared (eg the choice of austerity in the midst of the greatest crisis) but today it is appropriate to applaud the courage and vision of a true European leader. If Merkel wins again and manages to keep Europe on a path of openness and integration, we will be on the road to the best possible future for the old continent.
With some kind of revenge of history that Europe which (with fascism, Nazism and racial laws) had forced Jews, minorities and intellectuals to seek refuge in Roosevelt's America could today re-propose itself as a cradle of freedom, tolerance and knowledge, attracting a return flight of many who had crossed the 'Atlantic by steamer.
