Nations souring on governing themes — and bluster — of strongmen

OLAF Scholz's last campaign stop for Germany's post-Merkel leadership was in Cologne, and it had a giant video screen that flashed one word — kompetenz — which was universally understood, according to media reports.

No racial or religious animus was raised; no political enemy was demonized. Civility was the general tone of the post-Merkel campaign.