German elections

The German Election Day is getting closer. But there seems to be more debate in several corners of Europe about these elections and their impact of the future of the EU than in Germany itself. Domestically, the issues being discussed are very pedestrian. And there is indeed very little interest in matters larger than the petty things that are on the German table. Any reference to the euro, the Brussels institutions reform, the countries in financial distress or the banking union is no more than a passing whisper. It has very little weight.

One or two key observers keep repeating that Berlin simply lacks the political ambition to provide straightforward leadership in times of big challenges. I do not think so. Merkel and the others know what they want. And they are satisfied with what they have now, when it comes to Europe: no borders, a free trade zone, a strong euro and a bunch of governments that are too preoccupied with their own domestic problems to be able to pay more attention to the Union. Better, they are too busy to be able to challenge Berlin and ask for more from the Germans.

It is that kind of “minimal Europe” or “status quo Europe” that pleases the Germans. Then, they can think about their little problems at home and keep increasing the exports to Asia, the Middle East and the US. And that’s what they have been doing. The rest of the world is now more important for the German industries than the fellow European countries. And that determines the level of ambition Berlin wants to have