The great paradox of German politics is that Angela Merkel largely owes her position to Gerhard Schroder, whose labor reforms brought prosperity to the country and divided the SPD. Being the junior partner in a coalition doesn’t exactly help your electoral prospects, either: just ask the Liberal Democrats.
Merkel’s problem is that she has to wear two hats: one as the German Chancellor, and the other as the leader of Europe. They frequently take her in different directions, most notably on austerity. How will she balance her responsibilities in what almost certainly will be her last term? Will she work with Macron to try to bring some coherence to the EU, or just pursue Germany’s interests and muddle through? Only time will tell.