Germany and France have taken center stage in the eurozone's bid to manage its debt crisis, and the respective leaders of the two countries have forged a closer relationship than most leaders do under normal circumstances. DW takes a look at how 'Merkozy' - Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy - came to be.
Made in heaven?
Merkel: pragmatic, risk-averse, earnest, leader of the eurozone's strongest economy…
Sarkozy: brash, impulsive, mercurial, leader of the eurozone's second-strongest economy…
A perfect match!
Two sides
It hasn't always been so perfect between Merkel and Sarkozy. But since Sarkozy was elected French president in 2007, together they have weathered many a storm at the helm of Europe. And if they get their way, they will stride on for years to come.
'Dinner for Two'
This Merkozy-centrism at the EU was the source of satire on New Year's Eve, when the traditional "Dinner for One" skit - which runs every year on German television - was adapted to show them alone at an EU summit. It ended with the narrator saying: "At every euro rescue summit, these two do everything themselves."
Greek tragedy
The "rescue" operations began in 2010 after Greece said it needed help to avoid going bankrupt. European nations, headed by Germany and France, came together with other international institutions to bailout Athens to the tune of 110 billion euros. Then Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou had to wait longer than he may have wanted for his safety ring - "Merkozy" needed time to blow it up.
Smiling in Brussels
After the initial bailouts - which included Ireland and Portugal - all was well again in the eurozone, with Merkozy comfortably leading the way (here pictured with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and then Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates). It was clear now, though, that Europe needed to take action to prevent any further crises.
Financial weaponry
The answer to Europe's problems was found in the creation of a permanent mechanism to deal with "problem" states: the European Financial Stability Mechanism, or EFSF. Germany and France, as the bloc's strongest economies, were to contribute most heavily to the 440-billion-euro fund - around 120 billion and 90 billion euros, respectively.
Anti-Merkozy protests
But not everyone in Europe, especially in those countries that required financial assistance, was thrilled with the notion of France and Germany dictating policy in the monetary union. Protests against austerity measures - passed as a bid to reduce budget deficits - engulfed a number of struggling countries in the eurozone.
Relationship trouble
And things between Merkel and Sarkozy soon took a turn for the worse, too, after they failed to agree on eurozone fiscal strategy. Bitter arguments resulted over the Eurobonds scheme, which Sarkozy thought would help euro countries improve their dismal creditworthiness on international markets. Merkel disagreed - and staunchly rejected the plan.
'Got your back'
Sure enough, France's credit rating has since been downgraded by S&P, along with that of a number of other eurozone nations. Germany, meanwhile, has retained its top AAA rating. But Merkel is committed to helping her old friend and ally: She has consented to stay by Sarkozy's side and appear in campaign rallies ahead of April elections in France. Vive la Merkozy!
