German leadership wanted and hated

Whether it's for leveraging the bailout fund, resisting the introduction of euro bonds or demanding budget discipline, the Germans will soon be the scapegoats for the entire euro crisis, the conservative daily Die Welt observes: "For years the op-ed columns in Germany and abroad have been demanding that the Germans finally take on more leadership in the euro crisis. Now Angela Merkel has done just that everyone's still grumbling. In the UK some commentators are already talking of a 'Fourth Reich' in the making. The idea: what the Germans failed to accomplish in two world wars they're now achieving with the euro crisis: securing hegemony over Central Europe. The Junkers and Barrosos are annoyed because Merkel simply doesn't want to pay all of the Eurozone's bills. ... In France, too, Germanophobia is spreading. ... That doesn't mean Germany must give in to the pressure. But like every big power we must clearly state where we stand and avoid giving the impression that we always know better than the rest. Then it will be easier for us to accept one of the lessons of the American experience: big powers are never loved."

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