François Hollande faces a baptism of fire in Berlin

"France has much less clout in the EU than Germany. The financial crisis and the euro crisis have highlighted the vulnerabilities of the French economy: its waning competitiveness," wrote Charles Grant, director of the CER. ... "Can Hollande really make a difference? He might ... The political crisis in Greece makes it urgent for Merkel and Hollande to find a modus vivendi … Until recently, many German leaders seemed disconcertingly certain that their policies for dealing with the eurozone crisis were absolutely right. Hollande and other EU leaders need to explain to them that an inflexible Germany risks becoming isolated."