Photo Gallery Merkel Rings Bells, Presses Flesh at EU Summit
German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks nervous as she arrives Thursday for the two-day EU summit in Brussels. Will they like my proposals on dealing with climate change?
One of the perks of being EU president is that you get to ring the bell to start the summit.
Which she clearly enjoyed.
French President Jacques Chirac came into this week's summit as one of the largest thorn in Merkel's side when it came to her renewable energy proposal.
Chirac wants nuclear energy. Merkel doesn't.
According to summit insiders, Merkel may have managed to win over Chirac. Or at least may have moved him from trying to include nuclear energy as a renewable energy source.
Everything went late on Thursday. Dinner was late. And Merkel didn't show up at the press conference until 11:20 p.m.
Merkel and her country's proposals were the center of attention in Brussels. There are other things to talk about at the meeting, but they all took a back seat to climate change.
Angie strikes a hip hop pose hanging out with Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, who has clearly selected his special sweater for the occasion.
Germany's diminutive chancellor sizes herself up with Finland's Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.
Merkel spots her old chum Blair. Come on Tony, stand next to me.
Merkel illustrates a point in conversation with Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis.
Hey there Zappo, give me five! Merkel prepares to press some flesh with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero.
Merkel strikes her famous "hands up" pose for the group photo. Polish President Lech Kaczynski (bottom right) seems to be working on developing his own trademark gesture.
By the time the evening press conference rolled around, though, Merkel was looking a bit tired. By morning, she had a draft proposal on everyone's desk.
