Advisers Seek to Bridge Euro Differences

Spiegel
January 3, 2012

Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut and Xavier Musca are not household names, but the two are playing a crucial role in efforts in Paris and Berlin to find joint policies for saving the euro. As the main advisers to Merkel and Sarkozy for coordination between Germany and France in the crisis, the two are building a bridge between two vastly different political worlds.

The most important telephone relationship between Germany and France connects two level-headed men in two offices that couldn't be any more different from each other. One is small and sparsely furnished and sits on the third floor of the Chancellery in Berlin. The other is huge, looks like the setting for a period film and is located on the second floor of Paris's Elysée Palace.

In recent months, the men have spoken on the phone almost every day, regardless whether the euro zone appeared like it was just about to be saved or on the verge of breaking apart, whether the markets were going haywire or had briefly quieted down. Over time, the two have gotten to know each other better. More than anything, though, they have learned to trust each other. For Europe, that has been the crucial factor.

In public, it has been German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy who have been charting the course for the Continent. Indeed, they have morphed into what the media here have dubbed "Merkozy," Europe's oddball ruler. But since the two have their own countries to lead, they can't afford to speak about where things stand in the battle to save their shared currency on a daily basis. It is Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut and Xavier Musca, Merkel and Sarkozy's respective go-to guys for the euro, who speak on the phone in their stead.

Only a few people are familiar with their names -- and both would actually prefer to see things stay that way. They did not want to be cited in this article because they do what they do best away from the public eye. Indeed, the basis of their collaboration is the understanding that what they say to each other will never be leaked.

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