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Leonid Bershidsky: Why Merkel is winning without a bold vision

“Whoever has visions should go see a doctor,” Helmut Schmidt, a revered German chancellor, said in 1980.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a joint press conference with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang following a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, June 13, 2016. Merkel is on a three-day visit to China. (Wang Zhao/Pool Photo via AP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is often accused of refusing to lead. Many inside and outside her country would like her to be the leader of the free world, to suggest bold concepts and make decisive moves.