Euroscepticism in Germany. Silent no more. In the run up to the election the party landscape in Germany is amusing. The Euroscepticism with an academic base become a lot of media coverage and momentum with the Cyprus crisis.
Euroscepticism is a healthy state, and should be encouraged with professional, academic level debate. What is particularly interesting about “Alternative Fuer Deutschland’s views” is that although the new party advocates Germany leaving the euro, it also accepts the solution of smaller, more homogenous currency unions (or, more probably, just the one made up of the EU’s north European members). That – proposed the last three year by common (sense) people not by biased experts – might well be a way out of the farcical mess. Alternative Fuer Deutschland is not yet a party, but it will certainly do a great deal of damage, not just to the CDU/CSU, but the FDP and SPD many of whose supporters are, in view of the chaos the curren EU policy is creating, also fed up to the back teeth with the ‘consensus’ the “euro is irreversible”. Alternative Fuer Deutschland has been mentioned in the Daily Telegraph here on Britain – no surprise there – but studiously ignored by the BBC (similar in German State media). And many would say not a surprise in both, either.
These absurd people who believe in the pink “european dream” unfortunately still exist in every country. The believe what state media tells them to think. The wrotten business model of the EU is obvious: The next corrupt and bankrupt country is already waiting in the queue (Croatia) and ready to get flooded with cheap money for then to get fleeced by the banks with killing interests. The war today is not anymore fought with weapons but with money. We need to get this insane european expansion game stopped as soon as possible and believe me the AfD will enter the German Parliament in autumn.
I think UK´s position, like it or not, is more clear. Less Europe, Less European Union.After all, to recall a british expression, “honesty is the best policy”. Cromwell’s words are just right. Nothing could be better for the rest of the Euro Zone than Germany’s departure including for Germany.
Regarding the euro Germans have no reason to be surprised:
Rudolf Augstein 1997 in Der Spiegel:
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-8736289.html
2001
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-19645501.html
It is all in german but im sure you’ll find a translation.
1993: „Die deutsche Währungsdisziplin wird sich in den südlichen Ländern – Spanien, Italien, Griechenland, Portugal – nicht durchsetzen lassen. Und natürlich auch nicht in der irischen Republik.“ The German policy of sound money will not gain support in the Southern countries: Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal- nor of course in the Irish Republic.
As the campaing against AfD get personal , I would suggests only grumpy old men can remember how well the ordinary German citizens (in the BRD) lived with a good currency and working political policy. Just look on the suppressed EZB wealth report or the tinkered poverty report how “well” the Euro served Germans – or in Europe look at the youth unemployment figures, or any single economic figure. Yeah the stock is high, like 1929.
A currency dissolution would correct the basic error. It is beyond my imagination how somebody who understands numbers can argue for the failed European currency. But then I gain, I do not see economic arguments – only tactical ones… A lot of people are so sick the would vote for the proverbial broom stick if a credible non block party like AfD is written on the sticker.When asking about real benefit for (German and European)citizens not for banks and “Eurocrates” in Brussels or elsewhere nor for travel gimmicks. I understand the big implications the Euro has on countries with overblown financial sectors, but I am afraid I still fail to see any merit in your abstract, rather emotional and slightly dusty argumentation. The “two big” advantages you listed are not backed by any numbers, have not materialized in longterm and are from beyond being disputed even by leading experts. In essence they seem to be merely a weak and hollow tautology – “it is good when is well designed” and “bigger is better and more competitive”. Both has been utterly proven wrong. Even British (Cameron did well) and Polish politicians recently understood that – nobody in the right mind or money to lose joins the EU zone anymore. We are trapped in an unhappy marriage and have to throw big money at failed mickey mouse size economies to keep them. A centralized interconnected complex system decreases stability. Your second argument is even weaker we are in a global world and internal euro zone trading is a meaningless indicator for global success – nor did it happen relative – that why is Germany’s economy is still creaking along. The exports outside the EU are expanding and inside trade is basically give away for free. If you think Europeans (and Brits in particular) will sign prosperity and freedom away for such two “big advantages”. Think again. The 25% youth without future will say – that’s all, you come up with? The rest of your supplementary arguments you have qualified yourself as more or less wishful thinking and I am sorry to say all this “Great” are utterly unproved statement. The Euro zone is a systemic error and the EU has a proven record in being better to create problems than solving them. But nothing in the world is irreversible never was and never will. Even with all the lobby money and time. It seems that if somebody sees the (granted) sovereign debt crisis and financial crisis, only tenuously related to the currency he is either paid to do so or very emotional. I am not.
As a consultant I was able to travel and do (better) globally without Euro. Hearing that the “Euro is great” does not convince me – I am really bored of all that crisis…
For a banker any bank (especially his) is system relevant for a tax payer there are nil(0), lets say one or two in big countries until broken up. Subsequently we bail(ed) out banks out in Spain and Cyprus, nobody argues seriously are system-relevant. Its is bending (more breaking) civil insolvency law (procrastinated default) – defusing account owners rights in favor of owners another break of insolvency law. Besides being a crime it economic nonsense. You think the EU helped – no way – look at Switzerland the UBS and CS case solved within 3 month and one year – with a plus for the tax payer. Same US for example AIG within two years. Both had really critical banks in trouble and in the US scores of banks defaulted, the continent did not sink (yet). The only good EU case is the Glitnir bank in Island. Where you see structurally reforms is in the eye of the beholder – I see a debt union ahead. Your other examples just proves my points again, we make out of a peripheral, single, small problems – big, joint, complex ones. With the Cyprus problem, 200 Million have now a big problem and pay for banks.Next step down is the piggy bank of my son. Second, if Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia and the UK have a problem, I do not have one. I politely ask them (and might favor help) to to fix it, if needed on the ballot box. In the EU, I can’t. It is system running havoc, I which can’t vote or oust, they make the rules (law) on the way, have broken every contract.
“Never under-estimate the ability of the EU to shoot themselves in both feet” (Quest)- well yours and mine. However, on a serious note, the financial repression will be followed by political repression in the EU. I rather would have finance problems, so UK stay put on the island and prepare for invasion.