Perhaps the most astonishing thing about Angela Merkel is her immunity to the political consequences of her decisions. Contrary to all promises, the cost of power has soared, yet this has not impacted her popularity. As to the 1.5 million migrants she has admitted, they haven't budged the polls at all

Red before she was green, the German Chancellor's rise from dutiful communist to elected politician testifies to an eye equally adept at spotting both the main chance and the next back to stab. Who is this woman who opened Europe's borders to the Third World? A two-part series...