'The Fourth Reich':
“People have even begun talking about the ‘Fourth Reich,’ a reference to
the Third Reich of Adolf Hitler,” states the article’s introduction
German Power in the Age of the Euro Crisis - SPIEGEL ONLINE
A “reich,” or empire, refers to a dominion, with a central power
exerting control over many different peoples
Here are some statements from politicians, thinkers and writers across the European Union highlighted by Spiegel:
■“German capital dominates Europe and it profits from the misery in Greece.” —Manlois Glezos, Member of European Parliament for Syriza and Greek war hero
■“It is as though my country were experiencing the consequences of war.” —Greek Culture Minister Nikos Xydakis
■The euro “rightly or wrongly” is reminiscent of “tank divisions of yore.” —The Fourth Reich: How Germany Subdued Europe, by renown and well-respected Italian journalists Vittorio Feltri and Gennaro Sangiuliano
■Italy has begun drawing “a line from the barbarian invasions via Bismarck and Hitler to Merkel.” —German expert Luigi Reitani at a 2014 conference
■“Bismarck united the German principalities to rule over Europe and, in particular, France. In a shockingly similar way, Angela Merkel seeks to solve her domestic problems by foisting the economic and financial order adhered to by German conservatives onto the rest of Europe.” —Former French Economics Minister Arnaud Montebourg
■Germany is “increasingly pursuing politics of power and of hidden expansion.” —Leftist French intellectual Emmanuel Todd
■“We are in Europe what the Americans are in the world: the unloved leading power” —German Chancellor Angela Merkel
■“This is not a monetary union. It is far more like an empire.” —Financial Times, May 2012
As Spiegel notes, these type of comments are becoming increasingly common
Spiegel explains how the design of the euro automatically put Germany in this leading position, paving the way for a rich, export-focused Germany. But this new power has turned Germany’s head. “There is a new tone in Germany,” the article states. “It is one that no longer abides by the noble customs of diplomacy. Whispering, suggesting and hinting have been replaced by ranting and blustering.”
Merkel’s policies have played a key role in forming this German Europe. “Early on in the euro crisis, she developed ideas for so-called benchmarking,” the article continued. “The concept called for European countries to be measured in several categories against the best in that category, which was often Germany. In this way, a German Europe would be created.”
modern Europe.
“Germany is once again a paradox. It is strong and weak at the same time—just like in the 19th century after unification, it seems powerful from the outside but feels vulnerable to many Germans,” wrote Hans Kundnani, head of research at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “It does not want to ‘lead’ and resists debt mutualization, but at the same time it seeks to remake Europe in its own image in order to make it more ‘competitive.’”
“Whereas Germany has dominated Europe economically during the euro crisis, i
t has remained a foreign policy dwarf,” writes Spiegel.
After concluding that Germany has “a significant say in the fates of millions of people from other countries,” Spiegel warns that “
uch power creates a significant amount of responsibility, but the government and other policymakers nevertheless sometimes behave as though they were leading a small country.”
