500 billion for Europe: Merkel converts with Corona-rescue plan on Kohl's tracks

For the shrewd politician, is the wisdom that you should try to set the bar only so high that you can run up behind them as comfortable as possible including ag

500 billion for Europe: Merkel converts with Corona-rescue plan on Kohl's tracks

For the shrewd politician, is the wisdom that you should try to set the bar only so high that you can run up behind them as comfortable as possible including ago. Sebastian Kurz, Austria's Chancellor, and for many of the CDU, the conservative icon in the German-speaking countries, he is a clever politician. A few days ago he went into position against the 500 billion-dollar Europe-Plan of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, warned of a looming "debt Union" and presented a counter-proposal.

So he raised the bar for his colleagues from Germany and France seemingly insurmountable, and then walk a little later but still elegant under the company's own hurdle through. About the author: Ulrich Reitz

Ulrich Reitz worked as a correspondent in the world, was in the starting team of FOCUS, which he led, and was a total of 17 years as editor-in-chief of the two largest German regional newspaper "WAZ" and "Rheinische Post". He deals with the societal consequences of digitalization, the cultural foundations of Germany and the Performance of its elites in politics and the economy. Reitz sees itself as economically ordoliberal and politically conservative. He appreciates the well-maintained controversy.

Dominik Butzmann Ulrich Reitz

Want to say: The resistance of the Short was no. It was a propaganda Ruse. On Saturday evening, he then turned to the also smooth: "in The end there needs to be a compromise. The European Union is," said Austria's Chancellor in the ORF. Then, the sentence follows: The most important point is the time limit of the Corona-aid to be there for him. This time limit to two years, but it is also the condition of Angela Merkel for the reconstruction assistance.

Also the German Chancellor looks at the action as unique, as exceptional. And now, this compromise is: Not all the money is hergeschenkt to ailing countries such as Italy and Spain, still only as a credit paid. There will be a mixture of the two papers, the German-French and the "Area Four" (Austria, Denmark, Schweder, the Netherlands). What is called Short-a typical European compromise. The Details should be known to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.

Europe is the biggest winner of the Corona could-crisis

The winged "According to Corona, is nothing more how to apply it was" in Europe, too. Instead of bickering and small-Small now so it is a great success. Foreseeable, it will be a far-reaching intervention in the national States. The balance of power between the European Headquarters in Brussels and the nation States will be postponed. The European Commission is more powerful. The German Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), said frankly that what this is all about the course from his point of view: it is a step on the way to the United States of Europe. Merkel puts it, nature, in accordance with, restrained: Germany's future will not consist alone in the national state.

it is so, as everything suggests, then Europe is the biggest winner of the Corona-crisis. An unexpected development in which the German Federal constitutional court has its share. The constitutional court had recently asked the bond purchases, along with matching, the judgment of the European court of justice in question, a Signal that was understood everywhere in Europe, With the German there will never be a single European financial and economic policy. And, of course, no Euro - or Corona-Bonds. No joint debt, no transfer Union.

  • Learn all the new findings of the Coronavirus in the News-Ticker at FOCUS Online.
Parallels to the refugee policy in the case of Merkel's approach

Merkel has kept now and in the reverse - a one-time act, in relation to a German government to the highest German court. The European Commission will now, the "mirror" is called the actual Revolution, of independent players in the capital market. The Commission in Brussels on peu a peu the form of a European government.

This now for those who don't like it historically: The "European recovery program" after Corona is just random as commonly as the Marshall Plan, known US Initiative after the Second world war, which enabled the re-emergence of Europe from the rubble and ash. This is the one. The others: Helmut Kohl was the Euro in the last year of his chancellorship, as Merkel by now the next big European step in the last year of her chancellorship. The difference is that Kohl wanted to stay after 1998, Chancellor Merkel wants to go 2021 as Chancellor.

Finally, The Parallel with the refugee policy group is made up of. With its policy of open borders in 2015, Merkel wanted to put the image of the "Ugly German" is a human-friendly Alternative to the opposite. With the half a trillion Euro, Merkel fought well in Europe, the widespread Image of Germany as a disciplinarian of other States, the southerners all together. Your refugee course brought the Union to a precipice, and gave the AfD a sustainable recovery. Why risk Merkel five years later, that this is exactly what is happening again?

a Good Moment, because AfD is busy with themselves

The simplest answer is: Because they can. The Corona-crisis has caused a Comeback Merkel's Reputation in the Public is as high as that in a long time. The provides new authority in the CDU, such as the CSU: the demo stereoscopic flight of the Union is the main reason for this is that in the Union, hardly anyone goes against Merkel's until recently considered impossible-Europe is turning. Hard to overestimate is that in conservative circles, highly respected Union man, Merkel secures rates: Wolfgang Schäuble. "We need more Europe," says the President of the Bundestag simply.

The risk of a re-rise of the AfD believes Merkel now take: The right-wing party has become entangled in a consuming direction of the fight between the extreme Right and right-wing populists - the end of open. Plus: The Corona-crisis has the seriousness as a principle in the policy of return - lederhose slogans are rejected by the majority of the audience, the AfD has lost support significantly.

Germany benefits the most

One Last point: Is Merkel's Europe turn really unselfishly, something of Europe, political altruism? Or the extraordinary financial infusion from Berlin gen Brussels, and from there on to Rome and Madrid, also in German self-interest? At the weekend, the CEO of ZF, Wolf-Henning Scheider, one of the largest suppliers to the automotive industry worldwide has made for a European financial equalisation among the States according to the German model is strong. His reasoning: Germany professional animals but most of all the European countries from the Export. Germany benefited most from the Euro, Germany benefits as the export champion of the world, most of the export of his goods: Who should bear the greatest harm, if Italy would go Bankrupt and leave the Euro?

This is not to say that in the end everything will work as planned. Italy is chaotic, governed, and you also have to ensure that German tax hide money in-the-dark Italian channels versa. But these are the troubles of the level. And this level is translated Merkel for a long time. She works the late cabbage is not dissimilar to your picture in the story. Of colleagues rebuked: Andrea Kiewel abused in live show several times a Corona-rules, FOCUS Online/Wochit ZDF"TV garden" From colleagues rebuked: Andrea Kiewel abused in live show several times a Corona-rules

Date Of Update: 25 May 2020, 10:27
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