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At the height of the Eurozone crisis in December 2011, David Brooks points out that it is important not to forget what the Germans are saying in this crisis. They are arguing for truth in accounting, which the government in Greece failed to do, and which may have more to do with negative opinion in the media and with the public in Germany about Greece than any other factor. They are arguing against speculative excesses that enabled Greece to borrow recklessly. And they are making the argument that the only way to put the finances of the eurozone on a sound basis is to have the financial discipline that is necessary for a sound currency. Anthony Faiola pointed out recently that one estimate for tax evasion in Italy is $340 billion a year- Washington Post, 11/25/2011. Greece has a similiar problem, which needs to be addressed. This view has credibility and the backing of every principle of sound financial practices, irrespective of country or region. For ordinary Germans who have gone through years of wage restraint during the period of high unemployment, their attitude is captured in one German workers response to Greece's situation - when she said there are "poor children in Germany also." Years after reunification were a difficult experience for Germany, and left parts of the country still affected by the experience. The period of high unemployment is still a fresh memory, as the economic recovery is fairly recent. There is a feeling that the situation is precarious, depending on exports, as the 2009 downturn showed. These facts remain even when one considers the criticism levelled at Germany. Germany benefitted from the bubble in the economies of Southern Europe through surging exports- from a currency that was undervalued in relation to neighbors- because of the common currency. German banks lent heavily to Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, along with French and British banks, and bear responsibility for reckless lending and not doing due diligence for loans to Greece and other countries. Germany also carries the burden of memories of hyperinflation in the 1920's, and the sense along with France that partnership is necessary for peace in Europe. Germany's position on austerity measures also has one underlying weakness - if this leads to shrinking economies in southern Europe in the name of fianncial discipline, then the plan fails as tax revenues decline and budget deficits increase. Given this experience Germany faces the challenge of convincing neighbors of the need for good governance and sound spending practices for long term stability of the currency, even as it leads the effort for providing short term funding. In the short run this reaps criticism for Germany, including criticism for some members such as Greece having to leave the euro as a way to regain competitiveness and growth. Experts have suggested that this would be a better option for Greece than a shrinking economy after strong austerity measures, and the referendum proposed by former prime minister Papandreou on strict austerity measures is likely to have gone in this direction.
Allan Meltzer's soluton for the financial crisis facing euro currency countries Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Greece
05/26/2010
Meltzer says a new currency union should be setup for the northern countries France, Germany, and others who commit to financial discipline and fiscally binding arrangements. The euro currency countries such as Italy and Greece should devalue their currency to fix gaps between wages and productivity in their countries. At a later stage these countries could be readmitted to the new currency union under strict fiscally binding arrangements with enforceable sanctions.
Grouped Articles
Germany reaps rewards of entitlement cuts - The Washington Post
Washington Post 09/20/2011
New York Times 09/25/2011
New York Times 05/26/2010
Wall Street Journal 09/14/2011
IMF Chief's Change of Tune on Bank Capital
New York Times 09/14/2011
Austerity in Italy May Not End Its Jobs-for-Votes System
New York Times 09/14/2011
Germany's Constitutional Court and the EU bailouts
09/07/2011
Germany's Constitutional Court and EU bailouts of Greece, Portugal, Ireland and other countries in the EU. The Court ruled that the bailouts were legal under German law. It also required that future bailouts would have to be approved by a parliamentary committee. This does not preclude bailout loans as the Merkel government has support for its moderate position in the parliamentary committees.
Grouped Articles
German Court to Weigh Bond Buying by E.C.B.
New York Times 06/10/2013
Greek Bailout Cost Hampers Prospects of Deal
Wall Street Journal 07/11/2015
Washington Post 09/07/2011
New York Times 12/01/2011
Deepening Crisis Over Euro Pits Leader Against Leader
Wall Street Journal 12/30/2011
An American History Lesson for Europe
Wall Street Journal 02/03/2012
How the German role in the eurozone crisis is viewed inside Germany, in Greece, Spain, Italy and the rest of Europe
05/26/2010
German media/public opinion and media/public opinion in other eurozone countries.
Grouped Articles
Elites Flock to Anti-Euro Party, Alternative for Germany
New York Times 04/14/2013
Germany reaps rewards of entitlement cuts - The Washington Post
Washington Post 09/20/2011
Germans Love Europe â But Not the Euro
New York Times 10/11/2011
New York Times 05/26/2010
Luxembourg Foots a Big Piece of the Greek Tab
BusinessWeek 05/27/2010
Germany's Surplus Isn't the Problem
Wall Street Journal 11/11/2013
The logjam between the bondholders (mostly French and German banks) and the German government- 2010-2012
07/01/2011
The roots of the Eurozone financial crisis go back to the issue of who should pay for the excess lending of French and German banks. Will it be the German taxpayer or the banks that took excessive risks? German financial experts, the German government and parliament, German public opinion, are all adamantly opposed to letting the banks off without sharing at least 50% of the costs of a bailout. A review done by the European Commission in coordination witht he IMF and the ECB, shows that from May 2010 (the date for the inception of the aid program to Greece) to September 2011, $52 billion of the $91 billion loaned to Greece went to pay bondholders for bonds that came due. The July 2011 EU agreement for Greece called for 21% of losses to be allocated to the bondholders. The German government is pushing for 50% and German parlamentary leaders in Merkel's party are balking at anything less.
Grouped Articles
Wall Street Journal 07/13/2011
New York Times 04/13/2013
Policy âTroikaâ for Europe Financial Woes at Odds
New York Times 06/07/2013
Most Greek bailout money has gone to pay off bondholders - The Washington Post
Washington Post 10/23/2011
Dexiaâs Collapse in Europe Points to Global Risks
New York Times 10/22/2011
European Officials Shaping Greek Rescue and Effort to Aid Banks
New York Times 10/22/2011
The twin problems of lack of growth under austerity plans and overvalued currencies of Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal
06/24/2011
The twin problems of lack of growth and overvalued currencies under the solutions of austerity plans without debt reduction and a single euro currency create impossible odds for a resolution of the eurozone financial crisis. Germany's insistence on tough austerity measures, European banks delaying restructuring of bad loans similar to the U.S. Brady plan, failure of politicians in Italy and Greece to take early action, and small steps by policymakers, are compounding the effects of the eurozone crisis.
Grouped Articles
German Election Overturns Political Order
Wall Street Journal 09/23/2013
New York Times 11/03/2013
Germany's Surplus Isn't the Problem
Wall Street Journal 11/11/2013
The 'Silent Austerity' in Banking
Wall Street Journal 01/21/2014
Italy Central Banker Is Open to 'Bad Bank'
Wall Street Journal 02/10/2014
Saying No to Austerity, Spain Unveils Tax Cuts
New York Times 06/20/2014
Angela Merkel's handling of the financial crises in eurozone countries
04/29/2010
The German response to the debt crisis in the eurozone and the events in 2011-2012.
Grouped Articles
As Greek Drama Plays Out, Where Is Europe?
New York Times 04/29/2010
Germany Clears Rescue for Greece
New York Times 05/03/2010
Economist 05/13/2010
Germans Respond to Merkel's 'Motherly' Side
Wall Street Journal 08/23/2013
Merkel Wins Big in German Election
Wall Street Journal 09/23/2013
Germany's Surplus Isn't the Problem
Wall Street Journal 11/11/2013
What does Germany want from the Euro and the European Union? The Euro issue facing Germany in 2011-2015
03/03/2010
German political leaders do not want a "transfer union." At the same time they want to keep the European Union, just as much as Chancellor Kohl and Chancellor Adenauer. Merkel, Schroeder, Schauble and other leaders agree on the need for the European Union. The question is how to bring fiscal discipline to the EU, even if this means redesigning the structure of the EU. The vision of a united Europe persists.
Grouped Articles
Wall Street Journal 03/03/2010
Germany's Surplus Isn't the Problem
Wall Street Journal 11/11/2013
New York Times 05/22/2014
Greek Crisis Shows How Germany’s Power Polarizes Europe
Wall Street Journal 07/07/2015
Economist 08/08/2015
Charlemagne: Germany’s euro question
Economist 09/10/2011
The 2011 Christian Democratic Union Party Convention in Leipzig, Germany
07/13/2011
It was at the 2003 CDU convention in Leipzig that Angela Merkel told delegates that the CDU would return Germany to it position of economic leadership in Europe.
Grouped Articles
Wall Street Journal 07/13/2011
Merkel Offers Her Election Manifesto
New York Times 06/24/2013
Greek Crisis Shows How Germany’s Power Polarizes Europe
Wall Street Journal 07/07/2015
Merkel Party Seeks Euro Exit Policy
Wall Street Journal 11/15/2011
Merkel Urges Party to Help Save Euro
Wall Street Journal 11/14/2011
European Bank Chief Pushes Back
Wall Street Journal 11/19/2011
Antonis Samaras of Greece's New Democracy Party and the European Union programs for Greece
07/05/2011
Samaras says the tax increases will hurt the Greece economy and the shrinking Greek economy under the current program will lead to the failure of the E.U.'s program for Greece.
Grouped Articles
EU Dismisses IMF's Criticism On Greek Bailout
Wall Street Journal 06/07/2013
New York Times 06/23/2013
Fractious Greek Government Splits
Wall Street Journal 06/25/2013
Greek Draft Budget Sees Primary Surplus, Return to Growth
Wall Street Journal 10/14/2013
Athens's Love Affair With the Euro Persists
Wall Street Journal 11/04/2013
Next Hurdle for Greece's Economy: Its Own Political Uncertainty
New York Times 10/13/2014
Preparation for Greece's exit from the euro currency and return to the drachma- November 2011-2012
07/01/2011
Grouped Articles
‘Grexit’ Could Happen by Accident
Wall Street Journal 01/12/2015
New York Times 07/05/2015
New York Times 07/05/2015
Wall Street Journal 11/04/2011
Plan to Leave Euro for Drachma Gains Support in Greece
New York Times 11/01/2011
Europeâs Two Years of Denials Trapped Greece
New York Times 11/05/2011
German reaction to the debt crisis in Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy.
04/09/2009
Germany said to be turning nationalistic in this crisis, seeing Germany's economic successes as its own, and not accepting the advantage of export markets in Europe in strengthening Germany's economic position.
Grouped Articles
Wall Street Journal 03/03/2010
New York Times 11/03/2013
Germany's Surplus Isn't the Problem
Wall Street Journal 11/11/2013
How Italy's ENI Vastly Boosted Oil Output
BusinessWeek 04/09/2009
Greek Crisis Shows How Germany’s Power Polarizes Europe
Wall Street Journal 07/07/2015
New York Times 05/26/2010
How Greece's and Ireland's debt crisis affects Germany, France, Portugal and Spain.
04/28/2010
German banks have large holdings of Greek bonds, and much larger holdings of bonds from the crisis affected countries of Greece, Portugal, Spain and Ireland.
Grouped Articles
Already Holding Junk, Germany Hesitates
New York Times 04/28/2010
Euro Rises After I.M.F. Increases Aid Pledge to Greece
New York Times 04/29/2010
As Greek Drama Plays Out, Where Is Europe?
New York Times 04/29/2010
Europe Acts Swiftly on Long-Delayed Greek Bailout
New York Times 04/29/2010
The Next Global Problem: Portugal
New York Times 04/30/2010
Portugal to cut wages, raise taxes
Wall Street Journal 05/14/2010
The European Union agreement for the eurozone debt crisis in Greece and other countries in July 2011
06/30/2011
The first really workable agreement was finally reached in Brussels after a year of sharp differences between the ECB, EU leaders, Greece government and opposition parties, and leaders of France, Germany and other EU countries. Fears of contagion for Italy and Spain and a sense of the dangers to the EU and the Euro currency itself led to the agreement, with the EU governments coming up with the financial support which will be channelled through the European Financial Stability Facility. The debt ceiling crisis in the U.S. may have added to the urgency to reduce nervousness in the markets about a breakdown in EU governance along with that in the U.S.
Grouped Articles
Wall Street Journal 07/13/2011
Europe Must Choose Currency or Financial Union
New York Times 07/21/2011
Greece Gets New Bailout as U.S. Nears Brink
Wall Street Journal 07/22/2011
A Guide to the New Deal in Athens: How a 'Selective Default' Works
Wall Street Journal 07/22/2011
Wall Street Journal 07/22/2011
Euro Zone's Imperfect Path to Union
Wall Street Journal 07/22/2011
The European Union plans for aid to Greece.
02/10/2010
Resistance in Germany to bailing out Greece.
Grouped Articles
Germany Clears Rescue for Greece
New York Times 05/03/2010
Athens's Love Affair With the Euro Persists
Wall Street Journal 11/04/2013
Germany, Forced to Buoy Greece, Rues Euro Shift
New York Times 02/11/2010
Wall Street Journal 02/12/2010
Wall Street Journal 02/11/2010
Berlin's Wall Around Greek Ruins?
Wall Street Journal 02/10/2010
John Cochrane and other experts give a no-nonsense view of the bailouts and the financial crises facing Europe
12/02/2010
Insights that the real problem is short term debt financing. The need for the EU to insist on long tem debt financing for governments in Europe. The solution for this crisis is not in bailouts of Greece, Spain, Italy and so on, but to swap the short term debt for debt with longer term maturities, and for bondholders to take a haircut. Similiar to the Brady Plan for Latin America in the late 1980's. The bailout of Ireland in reality not a bailout of Ireland, as a bailout of German and British banks that made risky loans to Irish banks and the Irish government. The U.S. government's debt also tilted to short term debt and problems similar to European problems.
Grouped Articles
EU Dismisses IMF's Criticism On Greek Bailout
Wall Street Journal 06/07/2013
'Contagion' and Other Euro Myths
Wall Street Journal 12/02/2010
As Ireland Flails, Europe Lurches Across the Rubicon
Wall Street Journal 12/27/2010
Running the euro zone: Pact of uncompetitiveness
Economist 02/12/2011
Wall Street Journal 03/11/2011
Europe Needs to Apportion Pain
Wall Street Journal 03/17/2011
The experience of integrating East Germany into a reunited Germany and a tighter union for the EU
09/30/2010
German chancellor Merkel's own experience with the integration of east Germany- the price paid and the effort needed from both parts of Germany- is relevant to the project for building a tighter framework for the European Union. A special reunification tax generated 1.7 trillion euros to finance the effort and rebuild the eastern part of Germany.
Grouped Articles
For Some Germans, Unity Is Still Work in Progress
New York Times 09/30/2010
In a United Germany, the Scars of the East-West Divide Have Faded
New York Times 10/02/2015
Merkel's Defense of Euro Forged in East Germany
New York Times 01/30/2011
Portugal Premier: No Bailout Needed
Wall Street Journal 02/04/2011
Merkel Taps Adviser to Head Bundesbank
Wall Street Journal 02/17/2011
Germany's economy: Angela in Wunderland
Economist 02/05/2011
The Sarkozy-Merkel meeting in Deauville, France, October 18, 2010, that sets the stage for a closer union for the EU.
12/27/2010
Germany and France make the momentous decision to move forward with a closer fiscal union of the 16 nation European Union. The efforts to build anew the conditions for the Euro to succeed. The vision of a united Europe persists.
Grouped Articles
New Attempt at French-German Amity Stumbles in Venice
Wall Street Journal 08/21/2013
Germans Respond to Merkel's 'Motherly' Side
Wall Street Journal 08/23/2013
German Election Overturns Political Order
Wall Street Journal 09/23/2013
New York Times 05/22/2014
Economist 11/11/2015
As Ireland Flails, Europe Lurches Across the Rubicon
Wall Street Journal 12/27/2010
Greece and prime minister Papandreou's Nov. 3, 2011 referendum proposal on the euro and austerity plans
07/01/2011
Grouped Articles
Europe, Athens Battle for Greek Hearts and Minds Ahead of Referendum
Wall Street Journal 06/30/2015
Hopeful Start to Greek Debt Negotiations Quickly Soured
New York Times 07/02/2015
Greek Referendum on Offer That Is Off the Table Baffles Voters
New York Times 07/02/2015
Why Not Give the Greeks Their Say?
New York Times 11/03/2011
Greek Leader Calls Off Referendum
New York Times 11/03/2011
Call for Greek Vote Unsettles Europe
Wall Street Journal 11/02/2011
Faces of recession battered Greece as new austerity programs are adopted by the government
06/28/2011
Grouped Articles
EU Dismisses IMF's Criticism On Greek Bailout
Wall Street Journal 06/07/2013
New York Times 11/03/2013
Greece’s prescription for a health-care crisis - The Washington Post
Washington Post 02/22/2014
Across Athens, Graffiti Worth a Thousand Words of Malaise
New York Times 04/15/2014
Greek Patience With Austerity Nears Its Limit
New York Times 12/29/2014
Greece’s new prime minister wants Germany to pay for Nazi war crimes - The Washington Post
Washington Post 01/26/2015
The situation in Athens, Greece, in Dec. 2011, with the German insistence on strict austerity measures
11/27/2011
The likelihood that Greeks would vote against austerity measures as a condition for staying in the euro, if a referendum were held as proposed.
Linked Articles
Greeks Balk at Paying New Property Tax
New York Times 11/27/2011
New York Times 12/01/2011
Tax evasion in Italy and Greece and Germany's insistence on good governance and financial practices for a sound euro currency
11/25/2011
One estimate of tax evasion in Italy cited by Faiola in the Post is $340 billon a year. Greece has a similiar problem. This is one area in which the culture and practices of individual countries have to converge to acceptable norms to make a common currrency viable, something the founders of the euro currency did not take as seriously as needed and account for in a disciplined framework. The political enthusiasm for a union of European countries of EU founders led to ignoring the dangers of not having controls and convergence in place.
Linked Articles
New York Times 12/01/2011
Amid crisis, Italy confronts a culture of tax evasion - The Washington Post
Washington Post 11/25/2011
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