Germany Needs to Lead Europe

Five years and counting – the economic and financial crisis is still fraying nerves across much of Europe and Germany finds itself in a dilemma. On the one hand, some complain that Berlin is dictating the European agenda. Old stereotypes linger. On the other hand, there are calls for Germany to exercise more leadership in order to pull Europe out of the crisis. When these calls come, as they often do, from the southern part of the continent, Germans mostly hear pleas for even more money to be transferred to the countries of the periphery. But there are others. In a remarkable speech in Berlin, Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski said that he was more afraid of German inactivity than German leadership. He was asking for action, not money.