When the parliamentary elections last year ushered in a new government in Germany, there was a collective sigh of relief. Guido Westerwelle, foreign minister for four years, had never mastered his office and always seemed to lack the sort of gravitas that the office demands. In came Frank-Walter Steinmeier; Westerwelle’s predecessor would also be his successor. With his calm demeanour, Steinmeier was considered by many to be the ideal top diplomat. Less than a year into his term, however, the disillusion is palpable, even among some of his sympathisers.