The collapse of Olaf Scholz’s dysfunctional coalition government could not have come at a worse time for Europe.

Donald Trump’s election victory has put European leaders, gathering today for a summit in Budapest, under huge pressure.

They fear he will cut off weapons and aid to Ukraine, leaving Europe scrabbling to plug the US-sized gap, and that Trump will hit them with painful trade tariffs.

But Germany, the EU’s richest member state and arguably its most influential, and its Chancellor has gone missing; engulfed in a domestic political crisis.

Emmanuel Macron, of France, is also the weakest he has ever been as he limps to the endgame of the final years of his presidency.

With the Paris-Berlin engine of EU policymaking spluttering, the bloc’s ability to respond decisively and with unity has been undermined.