Germany is the New England

At the possibly decisive EU budget summit Angela Merkel has called for further cuts. Although she calls for „more Europe“, Merkel wants to spend less. At the same time she is getting even closer to the British prime minister Cameron. This raises the question: Is Germany the new England of European politics?

The chain of evidence is getting longer. Already at the first, failed budget summit in November, Merkel fought side by side with Cameron for cuts in the EU budget. This time, on the second try, Cameron even counts Merkel among his „allies“, as „Euractiv“ reports.

No inch fits between the two when it comes to the so-called competitiveness. Britain is not in the euro, it has shut down its industry and is mired in recession. But that does not prevent Merkel to support him on this issue.

And then there’s free trade. The British ever wanted to reduce the EU to a free trade zone, people say. As a matter of fact, that was never true – since London also represents a strong foreign and security policy. It even had its empire.

But now Germany behaves like it was the new England – Merkel even wants a free trade area with the United States. A strong foreign policy, however, is her damn. Germany shies away from the war in Mali, Defence Minister De Maizière recently rejected an EU army.

It is not exaggerated to say that Berlin also has an Empire on its own. At least, the government in Berlin behaves as if it was the master of Europe. The „German Europe“ will now be expanded by new reforms designed after the German „Agenda 2010“ …

But Germany is still not an island? But it wants more than free trade, e.g. „More Europe“, even a political union? – Yesterday’s news. At the December summit, the deepening of the EU was canceled abruptly. And for „more Europe“ there is no money from Berlin.

Germany is also an island – if you look at its position in the international debate. Whether it comes to austerity, monetary policy, exchange rates or imbalances (ie surpluses) – in almost all questions the „China of the euro zone“ is isolated…