Page "Enda Kenny" Paragraph 36

On 14 February 2011, Kenny met German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the Irish economy.

Kenny and Merkel have close political ties because Merkel's CDU party and Fine Gael are both members of the centre-right European People's Party ( EPP ) and seating at EPP meetings is arranged by alphabetical order of surname.

The close relationship between these two leaders is illustrated further by the fact that Angela Merkel also backed Enda Kenny and Fine Gael during the 2007 election.