A steady Merkel wins again

Angela Merkel was elected to another term as Chancellor of Germany on Friday. She has earned the support of her country and is preparing to lead them and the rest of Europe for the next four years. Merkel was the clear favorite in the election as she won nearly two-thirds of the votes from a country that seems satisfied with how she has managed the economic crisis so far.

Germans might love Merkel, but European citizens outside of Germany think differently. Peripheral countries believe that the German leader has imposed stiff austerity measures on their national economies. Still, she symbolizes stability for most Germans, and she has kept her promise to keep her nation's economy strong and protected from economic woes affecting the rest of the continent. German voters are supporting her in this mission.

But Merkel has not completed some important reforms and has failed to lower taxes. Germans are paying high taxes on energy, the savings bank system is weak, infrastructure systems are aging and labor laws need to be updated. Germans are asking themselves: can we stay strong without reforms? People outside of the country people are more certain of Merkel's ability to lead.

The EU believes that Merkel will use her political and economic power to turn Germany into the motor that will carry Europe down a road to recovery and ensure that struggling EU nations balance their deficits and reduce their national debts. In the next several days Merkel will assign her cabinet and will reveal whether or not she plans to continue practicing austerity or to find new ways to spark growth in Germany and the rest of the EU.