I think it was Napoleon who said you can know a state’s foreign policy by its geography. By and large the rule still holds good. In the case of Angela Merkel’s Germany an unkind observer would modify it slightly. Export markets would claim a place alongside geography.

Ms Merkel has been in Washington this week. The German chancellor was feted by Barack Obama. A 19-gun salute was followed by the award of the presidential medal of freedom and a glittering White House banquet. No other European leader has received such cosseting during Mr Obama’s tenure. They must have been seething in Nicolas Sarkozy’s Elysée palace.

Custom has it that these events are a reward for faithful allies. In Ms Merkel’s case, the warmth of the reception was more a mark of hope than of appreciation. Mr Obama may still pay homage to a special relationship with Britain, but Germany is the European power he does not want to lose.