For Gideon Rachman, fear of Germany was the foundation of Europe

Columnist Gideon Rachman reflects on the role that fear of Germany has played in the development of the European Union. "There is no doubt that containment of Germany ... has been fundamental to the development of the EU. ... From the outset, Germany was Europe's paymaster and France one of the biggest beneficiaries. German willingness to pay up meant that the Common Agricultural Policy … was, in effect, a form of disguised war reparations. ... An ingrained suspicion of Germany has continued to underpin many of the EU's most important decisions. The euro – the biggest single act of economic and political integration yet – was largely a reaction to German reunification. ... Suspicion and even fear of Germany still linger in many European countries. But they are fading. ... More than 15 years after reunification, most Europeans seem comfortable with the new Germany. They fear a weak German economy more than a strong one."

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