After Gonzalez stepped down Almunia, an old faithful, took over. He then lost a primary to Borrell, who was undermined by the "Barons" (incumbent regional presidents). After he and Almunia left the scene, there was a 4-way race between Bono (Baron), Matilde Fernandez (apparatchik close to Gonzalez's VP Guerra), Rosa Diez (hip Basque leader) and a young parlamentarian called Zapatero that nobody outside the PSOE had ever heard about. The rest is history.

So, I wonder whether Merkel will go the way of Almunia and Borrell, and the Anden Pakt will go the way of Fernandez and Bono.

Whaddayathink?

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper