British MEP Nigel Farage, of the U.K. Independence Party, got up in Herman Van Rompuy's face last week with an epic rant on the floor of the European Parliament that was also something of a victory lap for the longtime euroskeptic:
While Farage's speech probably provides some catharsis for fed-up Europeans, the non-subtlety of his anti-German remarks was striking:
We are now living in a German-dominated Europe. Something
that the European project was supposed to stop. Something that those who went
before us actually paid a heavy price in blood to prevent. I don’t want to live
in a German-dominated Europe and nor do the citizens or Europe.
Farage's comments are the latest manifestation of the recent bout of Germanophobia that's been provoked by Angel Merkel's government's new status as Europe's lender of last resort. It's a sentiment that hasn't really been seen in Europe since the reunification of Germany, which Margaret Thatcher feared "would
undermine the whole international situation and could endanger our security."
Farage may be something of an extremist, but Thatcher's Tory successors have been getting in on the latest handwringing as well. Here's London mayor and Conservative heavyweight Boris Johnson in a recent interview with the Telegraph:
“What I don’t think you can do, is just pretend that you can create an
economic government of Europe, effectively run by Germany. That’s no… that’s
not meant to be provocative towards Germany. Germany’s just thrust into that
position, by sheer economic weight and political necessity. I’m not saying the
Germans are being hegemonic in this. But I don’t think it’s right for us; it’s
not right for Europe.”
Simon Heffer of the Daily Telegraph was not so polite, in a column accusing Germany of "using the financial crisis to reconquer Europe":
[Financial markets] may hope their salvation, apart from pulling out of the single
currency and devaluing, would be to accept Germany properly bolstering
the euro and effectively colonising the Eurozone.
This would entail a loss of sovereignty not seen in those countries
since many were under the jackboot of the Third Reich 70 years ago.[...]
Every spending department in every government in the Eurozone would have its policy made in the old capital of Prussia.
And if the people did not like their governments being left with fewer
powers than a county council, that would be tough. The alternative is
ruin.
Where Hitler failed by military means to conquer Europe, modern Germans
are succeeding through trade and financial discipline. Welcome to the
Fourth Reich.
There's been some pushback against the notion. For instance the left-leaning New Statesman ran a piece this week dismissing fears of a"Fourth Reich" and arguing for the necessity of Germany's role in responding to the crisis. But it's a general rule that when magazines have to run stories denying that German economic policy is driven by a hidden Nazi agenda and do it with a great big swastika on the cover, it's not so good for Germany.
This isn't just limited to Britain. In once Nazi-occupied Greece, the media has targeted the unfortunately named European Task Force, Horst Reichenbach, with tabloids dubbing him the "Third Reichenbach" and running photos of his office with the tagline, "The New Gestapo Headquarters." Protesters routinely don Nazi uniforms to protest what is seen as a new German imposition on Greek sovereignty.
This is something of a can't-win situation for Germany. When it approves loans to struggling Southern European countries and imposes conditions on debtor governments, it's accused of trying to redominate Europe. When it's reluctant to give those loans, Greek lawmakers demand the money as reperations for wartime atrocities and commentators suggest that the Germans are being stingy because they're sick of atoning for its past and "are
convinced that their country's foreign policy has been driven by servile
submission for too long." Other outside commentators argue that the German government's antipathy toward deficit spending is a result of the "1920s hyperinflation seared into German psyche."
Unfair as these attacks may be, it's understandable that Europeans are resentful and confused about what seems like a rapid loss of national sovereignty. Plus there's a certain element of Godwin's Law at work. If America's most popular radio host can compare the policies of an African-American president to Nazism, it's not the surprising that actual former victims of Nazism would reach for the same analogy.
You lot just can't quite seem to grasp this whole euroscepticism thing. Look at what policies Germany are trying to pursue.
They could allow the ECB to step in as lender of last resort. But no, this would compromise historical German insistence on sound money.
They could allow for the creation of Eurobonds. But no, this would mean that, in effect, Germany would be bankrolling profligate periphery members.
So what they've decided to do instead, is to push for a situation where they need not bother worry about German taxpayers being liable for peripheries, because they will control periphery governments. Every national budget will be sent to the Commission (via the Bundeskanzleramt) for approval. Indeed, the Irish budget for this year was seen in the Bundestag before it the was seen in the Irish Parliament.
The German policy for Europe is clear: we don't want to become liable for their profligacy, so we are going to basically take over their governments.
How is that not what is happening? How can you call a Farage an 'extremist' for telling the truth?
Perhaps because there isn't that much evidence of German domination beyond reminding these governments that it was their frankly idiotic policies of nepotism, patronage and corruption in Italy and Greece that put them in situation they're in now?
Also, Farage is being dubbed an extremist because he is comparing the current situation - Germany requiring proof of fiscally sound practices in the countries that are quite literally demanding it's money - to the Nazi aggression of WWII during which the Third Reich used its military to expand aggressively into Europe completely destroying the sovereignty of countries that it invaded.
Do you honestly not think that comparison is a little "extreme" considering the vastly different reality of the current situation.
In the end these countries have a choice - they can agree to their moneylender's terms or opt out of the Euro and rebuild their own currencies if they deem the required measures too harsh.
Germany is pressing for the periphery to stay in the Eurozone. Why? The average German couldn't give a shizer as to whether Greece or Portugal or whoever stays inside. Neither that matter, could the average Greek if the mass protests are anything to go by. However German bondholders do care, and therefore, by extension, Mrs Merkel cares. The bailouts and the austerity imposed by German proxies or vassals in periphery members is a convenient way for Germany to guarantee its heavily overexposed financial institutions do not collapse under the weight of Sovereign Subprime. This way the German government can control government policy in the periphery without having to go down routes that would lead to ceding areas of sovereignty like through large-scale ECB direct bond-buying, or through the dreaded Eurobond.
It is very simple. Germany wants to have their cake and eat it. And through the installations of tribute-paying functionaries in Rome, Athens, Dublin and Lisbon...that's what they're getting.
Farage is simply saying that, isn't it funny how the very organisation set up to prevent Germany dominating Europe has resulted in just that. And he's right. Except it isn't funny, it's deeply worrying for democracy in Europe, and neither is it surprising, as people like Farage have been saying that this is the way it'll go for some time.
@Gonzov
I'm afraid @Hurricanewarning has it right. The EU is toast. Any conscious Europe will understand that the political project is a result of a state of history that no longer exists in Europe, and that the dreams of Eurofederalists have come up against a rather sizeable stumbling block: a) The Euro doesn't work b) The European Project is a democratic abomination with no democratic legitimacy at all c) Europe is condemning itself to a future of overregulation, micromanagement, huge intra-European liabilities that will cause massive tension and resentment, and a destruction of its competitiveness against emerging markets.
I'd heed the warnings from Mr Farage. He's called it 100% correctly so far, and the cheerleaders of the European project keep getting proved wrong.
Many of these countries are simply jealous of German's economic miracal. Most of the countries in Euro-Zone have shown less than shabby performances, yet Germany, even during the tough economic times managed to maintain economic growth due t it's fiscal discipline & emphasis on advancing its technological ingenuities & supiriority. Great Britain as always, the great cry baby of Europe is simply unable to compete with Germany. UK is one sorry case I have no pity for at all.
That Germany won't bankroll Europe on Europe's terms? Why would that be I wonder? Maybe because if Europe had been as half as good as spending money as Germany, we wouldn't be in this spot in the first place? Huh, funny that.
This whole article and discussion remind me of the Congressional golden rule:
"Those that have the gold make the rules."
So, yes, if Germany is expected to bail out the rest of the Eurozone, there will be loss of economic sovereignty by those being bailed out. It has always been obvious that joining the EU and being part of the Eurozone entails loss of sovereignty. Now, perhaps, it is becoming a bit too obvious...
Perhaps instead of rioting, the Greek populace might review the various ways in which they cheated on their taxes last year and find a way to pay them. That would be the single step that would do the most to restore Greek economic sovereignty.
Hot tip--sovereignty is expensive. If you don't want to pay the bill, you don't get a lot of sovereignty.
Any conscious European agrees its a good thing that real countries like those in the north are able to save the entire project. Our money and political leadership is what will save the EU from splitting up in to two regions. For better or worse.
Everyone knows what German history in the 20th century contained. More importantly, everyone, including Germans, has nothing but contempt for National Socialism (yes, there are a few fringe haters, but 95%+)
Modern Germans didn't cause Nazism, they didn't vote for, fight for it and they didn't harm any Jews and Roma.
There are plenty of areas to discuss fiercely with the German government: austerity vs stimulus, ECB lender of last resort or not, euro bonds and the list goes on. But Germany shows no signs of becoming a barbaric country again and using the Nazi past to "win" a debate with Germans strikes me as as cowardly as hitting a woman or punching a cripple. Real men don't do that. They don't need dirty advantages.
and what an ignoble slander of Allied servicemen in WWII to suggest that they somehow fought to effectively "enslave" the Germans. They didn't. They fought to destroy Hitler and Nazism and they were so successful that Germany is now one of our friends. Fear of modern Germany is cowardly to me. If this British guy wants less German "domination" of the EU I have two suggestions:
1) reform Britain's economy to become equally competitive so YOU will have the gold to back your ideas.
2) engage in the EU instead of running away. If you keep the EU at arms length you can't later complain that someone else is running the place.
Despite Farage's rant, and he is an intelligent and witty speaker, the UK is not really part of this game. John Major had the sense and strength to keep the UK out of the Eurozone and, in one of the few good things he did, so did Gordon Brown, despite Blair's wishes. The UK now has the second lowest bond yields in Europe (just behind Germany) for the simple reason that investors fear a modest currency depreciation much less than a catastrophic default. The Germans are getting upset because they would like to impose a Tobin tax and other fantasy measures that the Brits won't allow in the EU. If the Germans impose their will in the Eurozone, which they might, the city of London will simply eviscerate the smaller European financial centres, not least Frankfurt. There is a lot to play for here and the history says that the first moves of a European crisis give few clues to who is going to come out on top (Louis XIV, Napoleon, Hitler)!
The EU is toast. So is the Euro. It was an admirable notion, and had good intent; ah, but we should have known about the pavement on the road to hell...
The UK made the smartest financial move in its history when it chose to opt out of the euro and stick with the pound. As the unity of post WW2 Europe fades, we are seeing for the first time what a real Europe looks like; in its natural environment. It ain't pretty.
10-15 years ago, the rest of Europe was full of schadenfreude as the reunited Germany struggled with the legacy of the former East Germany. While France, et al. headed east to sell Citroens to the rest of the Warsaw Pact, Germany was pretty much saddled with cleaning up the GDR's mess and building infrastructure that had never been fully repaired from WWII.
Kohl's government made very hard decisions and the people made sacrifices the rest of Europe didn't. Now, the Germans are in a better position as a result. Who'da thunk? Germany is the pillar of stability of Europe.
Current Germanophobia is like bloodlibel-lite. The Germans square up to the legacy of what their ancestors did every single day and take it extremely seriously. Just look at the public reaction to the recent Neo-Nazi killings.
Sullivan is an Englishman who desperately wants to be American (nothing wrong with that). But he's gleefully been commenting on how the EU will collapse and I am not surprised that he grants this British dude the "right to gloat." If the euro collapses, millions could be thrown into unemployment, poverty, political unrest and a bleak future. Something to gloat about? Sullivan is overrated. And besides, the euro-leaders "stupidity" hasn't killed the euro yet. Europe may still come through this, no thanks to this English wannabe-American blogger.
The German policy for Europe is clear: we don't want to become liable for canoneos their profligacy, so we are going to basically take over their governments.
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