THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-December 21, 2016- Topic 2
It is hard now to
remember a time when German Chancellor Angela Merkel was not in the thick of a
political storm in Europe. However, Monday’s
suspected terror strike in Berlin that claimed at least 12 lives
along with a spate of incidents in July, all with a bearing on Germany’s
liberal immigration policies, present a qualitatively different challenge to
Europe’s most powerful politician. As she seeks election for a fourth term next
September, Ms. Merkel’s political and diplomatic acumen could be put to the toughest
test yet in a world still coming to grips with the implications of Britain’s
vote to leave the European Union (EU) and the U.S. presidential election
result. Her measured approach to the deepening debt crisis in the eurozone saw
her being pilloried by some of her conservative colleagues as indulgence of a
profligate Greece, even as the German-backed multilateral mission that
negotiated the bailouts was greeted by angry Greek protesters carrying placards
bearing the swastika. But the Chancellor, seen hitherto as cautious if not
indecisive, was spontaneous and firm in her response to
the tragic drowning of many Syrians at the height of the refugee crisis in
2015. Her open-hearted open-doors policy towards the hundreds of thousands who
managed to cross the choppy waters of the Mediterranean, describing Islam as
integral to Germany, may have alienated even some of her closest European
allies.
Paradoxically, Ms. Merkel’s continued
leadership of the 28-nation EU seems ever more critical given the rise of xenophobic
and anti-immigrant forces across the continent. Matters are not helped by the
fluid political scenario in the other staunchly integrationist founder-member
of the EU, France, which is headed for presidential election in 2017. The
prospects of Ms. Merkel rallying the forces of the political centre at home
will depend on her capacity to counter the populist Alternative for Germany
party, anxious to cash in on tragedies such as the Berlin attack. As for the
European and international stage, there are clear signs of the Chancellor’s
moderate political instincts to uphold the values of a pluralistic democracy
underpinned by the rule of law. In a letter she wrote to congratulate Donald
Trump, Ms. Merkel remained unequivocal. Among the values Germany and the U.S.
shared, she wrote, were “democracy, freedom, as well as respect for the rule of
law and the dignity of each and every person regardless of their origin, skin
colour, creed, gender, sexual orientation or political views.” It is hardly
surprising that Ms. Merkel’s views resonate across the Atlantic alliance, and
much beyond.
Vocabulary
Storm: a tumultuous reaction; an uproar or controversy.
Example: The book caused a storm in South America
Synonyms: uproar, outcry, fuss, furor, brouhaha, rumpus, trouble, hue
and cry
Suspected: have an idea or impression of the existence, presence, or
truth of something without certain proof.
Example: If you suspect a gas leak, do not turn on an electric light
Synonyms: have a suspicion, have a feeling, feel
Immigration: the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.
Example: Patterns of immigration from the Indian sub-continent to Britain
Acumen: the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a
particular domain.
Example: Business acumen
Synonyms: astuteness, shrewdness, acuity, sharpness, sharp-wittedness
Implication: the conclusion that can be drawn from something, although it is not
explicitly stated.
Example: The implication is that no one person at the bank is responsible
Synonyms: suggestion, insinuation, innuendo, hint, intimation, imputation
Pilloried: attack or ridicule publicly.
Example: He found himself pilloried by members of his own party
Synonyms: attack, criticize, censure, condemn, denigrate, lambaste
Indulgence: the action or fact of indulging.
Example: Indulgence in self-pity
Synonyms: satisfaction, gratification, fulfillment, satiation, appeasement
Hitherto: Until now or until the point in time under discussion.
Example: There is a need to replace what has hitherto been a haphazard method of
payment
Synonyms: previously, formerly, earlier, before, beforehand, so
far, thus far
Staunch: loyal and committed in attitude.
Example: A staunch supporter of the antinuclear lobby
Synonyms: stalwart, loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable
Resonate: produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating
sound.
Example: The sound of the siren resonated across the harbor