Merkel up or down

The German press has lately been reporting that Chancellor Merkel needs domestic victories in order to be re-elected. Although she has two more years left in her present term, there are some doubts about her re-electability. She has projected herself broadly on the international stage, while nationally she has done very little. An important national stage, the EU presidency, has ended (being adopted now by Portugal). This is a six month rotating position which the recent EU treaty is promoting to make two years. With this gone and the G8 over, where will Merkel act internationally? Her options there are limited. Whether she will be able to accomplish much domestically given the unity government with the Social Democratic Party is anybody's guess.