Back from the past

The experience of women and men who made contemporary Europe or contributed to changing the world might teach something important to leaders. Helmut Kohl has warned Angela Merkel about her skepticism with regard to helping Greece; Valéry Giscard d’Estaing complains about the abortion of French “grandeur” in Europe; Mikhail Gorbachev is worried about Vladimir Putin’s new term as Russian Federation president; and last but non least, George H. W. Bush wants to extract Barack Obama from the White House in order to insert a Republican. Are they past or present leaders? Their considerable participation (or evocation) in the public debates of their country, may be a sign that current political players are losing credibility as leaders.