She needed him to soften the impression that Germany alone is leading Europe. He needed her to give the impression France is still, despite its economic difficulties, a political player. … From a frosty beginning their relationship evolved towards mutual respect. They met, bickered, compromised and then decided on eurozone policy. With France struggling to contain its budget deficit and French banks heavily exposed to Greece, Sarkozy embraced Merkel's economic view of the world—austerity measures until a balanced budget is achieved. He brought his admiration for the 'German model' into his electoral campaign. She said she would support Sarkozy in...