Frank-Walter Steinmeier, president and Pyrrhic victor

The world was still recovering from the turbulent presidential elections in the US when Germany, another key Western power, picked its next head of state.

In an improvised and rushed ceremony this week, the leaders of the governing Christian and Social democratic parties presented current foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as their joint candidate and, indeed president-elect, as the February 2017 vote is a formality.

After all, the parties backing Steinmeier command an ove...