But, in the critical area of economic policy, the clash between Ms Merkel's pro-reform views and the anti-reform instincts of many Social Democrats (SPD) has produced what may prove the worst of both worlds.The CDU has managed to include minor labour-market reforms, plus confirming an eventual rise in the pension age to 67.
If memory serves, he also took issue with the description of himself as someone who would be familiar to "readers whose specialist subject is minor New Labour character actors, 1994-1998".
As its "face opening," a part of its anatomy that'll make some think about genitalia that's overdue a bath, suddenly grows a wildly flailing arm with claws, my heart rate finally reaches a level comparable to that of person performing minor physical labour.
But it is a minor miracle that Labour's poll rating is not even lower, given the number of MPs who have been arguing in public that their leader is useless.
Corbyn couldn't manage the same when it came to the minor issue of Labour councils endangering the lives of thousands of residents.
Alex Salmond used to love talking about "political earthquakes" as he led the Scottish National party into minor byelection skirmishes against Labour opponents.
Boosting the chance of a referendum victory, the Tory leader can also count on opposition parties to back a package that in essence contains only minor reforms, given that Labour wants to stay inside the EU and so does the Scottish National party.
The film is set in late 1950, the age of austerity, a sad, dreary time when rationing was still on, a minor black market thrived, Labour's brave new world was coming unstuck and the Korean War had just brought about an extension of national service.
It was one of those cathartic moments: finally someone was saying what we were all thinking, which was: "Everything is pretty much OK, but could you make some minor adjustments?" It was Labour's disregard for the Single Market that did it.
In most developing countries, and increasingly so under structural adjustment programmes, formal employment accounts for only a minor proportion of available labour.
Adults are predominantly victims of sexual exploitation, while minors are exploited for labour.
