Germany won’t lead the free world. It barely looks beyond its own borders

Britain, France and Germany, the three most populous European countries, will all have held important elections this year – in many ways setting the stage for much of what lies ahead for our part of the world.

Election campaigns can sometimes be more telling than the statistical results they actually deliver.

What do people talk about? What matters to them? Which themes do parties or leaders try to push forward?

These days, there are blinkers all around.