Does Macron Hold the Key to Merkel's Heart?

A snowstorm on the East Coast of the US upended Angela Merkel's travel plans, delaying until March 17 her scheduled Washington meeting with Pres Donald Trump. One appointment that stayed on the chancellor's calendar, though, was a March 16 tete-a-tete in Berlin with French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron. Merkel has good reason to reach out to Macron. The 39-year-old independent centrist now looks to be in position to defeat the far-right National Front's Marine Le Pen, whose anti-Europe views are anathema to Merkel. Macron has taken pains to reassure Germans that he's ready to enforce discipline at home. In exchange for such moves, Macron has said he wants Germany to loosen its purse strings and pursue a much more growth-friendly policy.