Angela Merkel on Monday (31 December) argued for defending the multilateral world order and said Germany would play a larger role in defending it, as Europe faces a crucial year with Brexit and European elections looming.
At the same time, France's Emmanuel Macron, the embattled end of the EU's driving German-French tandem, argued for maintaining order and staying away from the extremes as he faces ongoing protests and deep unpopularity.
As Europe prepares for the UK's exit from...
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Eszter Zalan is a Hungarian journalist who worked for Brussels-based news portal EUobserver specialising in European politics, focusing on populism and Brexit.