Et maintenant, Madame Merkel ?

Infographie : François Descheemaekere

What Now, Frau Merkel?

[The New York Times]

Where’s Germany’s Plan B?

The question came up during the second half of the European soccer cup semifinal match last week between Italy and Germany at a moment when the Germans were losing 2-0 and looking thwarted — but not changing tactics. Bixente Lizarazu, a former French international player and star at Bayern Munich, and now a television analyst here, joined his broadcast colleagues in explaining as Italy headed to victory: “There is no German Plan B.” These days, that answer also fits the German economy and the country’s banks and finances. Without a scoreboard’s precision or a referee’s play-stopping whistle, the evidence says that Germany is moving in the direction of a recession, faces palpable international concern about its public debt and the solidity of its banks, and, no longer infallible or triumphant (but rather like a senior partner in shared misery), must develop a more flexible approach in leading Europe.
You’d think Germany could well consider changing its game under these circumstances.
Lire : nytimes.com