Germany more Deutschland, less Europe?

Germany is becoming more Deutschland and less Europe again, it seems.

Angela Merkel is facing all kinds of criticism in her quest to keep the European family together and solvent. The Chancellor faces a tough agenda: tackle the financial crisis, prevent a coalition collaps and replace the German president. The price she pays for her European efforts is high.  Loss of home voters and sliding confidence in her local market go together with growing criticism from other European countries on Berlin.

And the German captain does not like it. The Guardian heads with "Germany signals end of Love Affair". Ian Traynor writes the change in Berlin is a tectonic shift in the EU– from pushing Europe forward to balking at the sacrifices Germany has to make. France and Germany are not the united front they appeared to be. Merkel is said to imitate Sarkozy mockingly, while the French Chef is said to boast to his team how he has bested the German Chancellor.

Merkel yesterday went to visit the German soccer team, in preparation for the world cup. To show them support of course. No doubt at the same time to signal she still is first German and then European. Because this is her struggle too. She needs to balance the interest of her market as the central economic power in Europe with that of another power, the EU. And she needs to keep credibility high at home while doing so. Ian Traynor has a point when he says better communications offer the solution to that problem. The message should be loud and clear for all Germans that Europe is good for them. Angela should stress that Germany, as Europe's biggest exporter, benefits the most from a single and strong Europe. But the opposition has a field day. It is easier in politics to criticise 'the outside world' and preach nationalism, than to see that a bigger union of powers, even with major issues to solve, is the best choice.

"In the history of the European Union, " said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform thinktank in The Guardian, "I've never seen Germany so isolated before." This is not a good state of affairs. Germany should never be an outsider of debate and negociations in Europe. The logic for the German market also applies for Europe as a whole: Germany is both Deutschland and Europe, supporting one is supporting the other.