Merkel’s political style was ‘flat’ both in terms of process and outcome. The concluding chapter summarises ‘flat politics’ as the result of ‘muddling through’: governance that eschews bold, hierarchical mandates in favour of incremental, network-based, and consensus-driven tactics under uncertainty. While this style enables flexibility and responsiveness, it also risks path-dependency and diluted accountability. The opening phase of the euro crisis is a case study for a much wider phenomenon—it helps us explain also the other instances of crisis management, from COVID-19 to Ukraine. In fact, it may well be the essence of crisis management during the Merkel years.