Yet when the country is distracted by the soccer World Cup this summer, a switch of prime ministers cannot be ruled out.
Nor can Ms Merkel hope for a boost from Germany's staging of the World Cup this summer, which is becoming an embarrassing tale of leaking stadiums and ticket-allocation mishaps.
Absent of a particularly sparkling track record, British football fans are looking to this summer's World Cup in Munich with feelings of both excitement and trepidation.
In this summer's World Cup, around a third of the industry's turnover came from foreign punters placing bets with British bookies, with much of this coming from rich Asian football fans.
"We look forward to Ricky completing his recovery and leading this team to a fourth successive World Cup on the sub-continent at the completion of the Australian summer, " Hilditch said recently.
BBC: Ashes: Australia's Ricky Ponting set to undergo surgery
Let us say you are a Manchester United supporter in the summer of 1968 after your club had won the European Cup.
The ICC Intercontinental Cup was won last year and a first appearance in the World Cup next March was secured when they reached the final of last summer's ICC Trophy.
Finegan, a World Cup winning flanker with Australia in 1999, was one of Newcastle's high profile signings last summer and was brought in to help improve their mid-table finish.
BBC: SPORT | Rugby Union | English | Newcastle axe Walder and Finegan
Brazil always held the upper hand, and even though this journey to Doha ended with a loss, England and Capello will benefit from being tested against many of the Brazil players who will pose a threat to their World Cup ambitions in South Africa next summer.
Ferris was a member of the Ireland U21 squad that participated in the World Cup in Argentina in 2005, but missed selection for last summer's Churchill Cup as he remained at home for minor ankle surgery.
BBC: SPORT | Rugby Union | Irish | Flanker Ferris in Ireland call-up
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