The dilemma at the heart of Europe: Germany and the German question

Abstract

Andreas Kluth highlights the issue that has been conspicuous by its absence from Germany's election campaign: the relationship between Europe and the economic powerhouse that is too small to lead, too large simply to fall into line.

Beyond ‘geo-economics’: Advanced unevenness and the anatomy of German austerity

“…While it can "protect itself from the economic decisions of its neighbors" (Leonard, 2015: 4), it cannot offer a comprehensive, let alone sustainable, solution to the eurocrisis. A victim of its awkward size and location within the international and European order, German policy makers cannot but follow a narrowly self-interested strategy despite the significant risks and costs associated with it (Kluth, 2013). The German choice for austerity, imperious and unviable though it may be, "reflects the limits of its geo-economic power" (Kundnani 2014: 110).…”