{"id":23936,"date":"2015-01-23T00:17:28","date_gmt":"2015-01-22T23:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/?p=23936"},"modified":"2015-01-24T21:37:39","modified_gmt":"2015-01-24T20:37:39","slug":"ther-germa-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/ther-germa-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There a German Problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"merkel-greece\"<\/a>Timo Behr writes:\u00a0For many decades, Germany has been the engine of European integration. Germany\u2019s unquestioning commitment to an ever-closer Union, its willingness to place European interests above its narrow national aims, and its ability to grease the wheels of integration with its \u2018checkbook diplomacy\u2019 have been vital for the European project to prosper.<\/p>\n

But Berlin\u2019s foot-dragging during the Euro-crisis and Angela Merkel\u2019s heavy-handedness when dictating the conditions of the financial bail-out have been widely interpreted as a sign that Germany might be turning its back on Europe.<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s Interior Minister and a Merkel confidant, sent a blunt message last year: it may be new to Europeans that Germany is defending its interests with vigor, he stated, but others better get used to the idea. And Germany\u2019s tabloid\u00a0<\/span>die Bild<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>celebrated Merkel\u2019s bruising victory during the Greek debt crisis with the triumphant headline \u201cNever again Europe\u2019s paymaster!\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite everything, German politicians are still unanimous in their backing for the European project and support for Euroskeptic political parties is lower in Germany than elsewhere. Moreover, German reactions to the Euro-crisis have been largely driven by economic anxieties and fear rather than a revival of German nationalism. Reports about Germany\u2019s rediscovered self-confidence and national drive are equally overblown. The truth is that Germany is still unsure about its path and all the talk about German \u201cnormality\u201d simply serves to hide its continuing insecurities.<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s political elite is still not accustomed to thinking strategically or taking leadership responsibilities. Neither are other Europeans clear about or comfortable with the idea of more German leadership in the new Europe. They fret about the lack of German initiative, yet they have little taste for German guidance and have been quick to stigmatize German reactions.<\/p>\n

\"caricature-cartoon-sketch-drawing-portrait-angela-merkel-german-chancellor-and-the-eurozone-crisis\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Timo Behr writes:\u00a0For many decades, Germany has been the engine of European integration. Germany\u2019s unquestioning commitment to an ever-closer Union, its willingness to place European interests above its narrow national aims, and its ability to grease the wheels of integration … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-finance"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t