Since the end of 2005, Europe has seen the handover of top leadership in Berlin, Paris and London. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Tony Blair have received their last curtain call, with the next generation of political leaders stepping in or ready to step in.
A broader background for the three leaders' departure is: European countries have failed to cope adequately with the fast-moving globalization process, reforms have stagnated and leaders have lost public support. This, as well as their political legacies, will be an enormous challenge for the next generation. Will their successors cope better and be any wiser? Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown (Tony Blair's likely successor) are all ambitious politicians born after WWII. Facing huge challenges both at home and abroad, can they draw a new, better picture of the future for their nations and Europe?
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