Chancellors of Germany

Factbox: EU vote - the domestic fall-out in Greece and across Europe

European Parliament elections not only determine the make-up of the next EU assembly and help decide who ends up running top European institutions but can also play back into the national politics of the bloc's 28 member states.
Here is a run-down of some of those national stakes after polls closed on Sunday and exit polls and early results came in:

Theachers clash with riot police during a protest in Athens

A protester destroys the wreath that German Chancellor Angela Merkel laid earlier in the day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, during a teachers' demonstration outside of the Greek Parliament, in Athens, Friday. Teachers protested against a new law regulating for the appointment/hiring of permanent teaching staff. The rally took place a few hours after Merkel's visit to Athens. [EPA]

Two popular fallacies about leaders and the elites

Two popular fallacies are thriving in a Europe of populism and diminished expectations. Many argue that Europe's problem is a problem of leadership. Missing are statesmen with the stature of Helmut Kohl, Francois Mitterrand or Jacques Delors. Historical distance tends to elevate and idealize leaders of the past.

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