Hans-Hermann Nikolei on French concerns about Germany

French elites accuse Germany of turning its back on European solidarity and fixing its gaze on Russia. Hans-Hermann Nikolei explains these concerns in the daily Die Welt: "Once again the Germans are looking eastward, abandoning the social-welfare 'Rhine capitalism' and gambling egotistically with Europe. The dispute over the German export surplus and Eurozone aid for Greece has rekindled old fears in France. ... Angela Merkel's hesitancy to bail out the imporverished Greeks with a few billion euros has come as a big shock to the French elites. Many now fear that Germany will forget about European solidarity and leave France in the lurch. ... It must be said however that the man on the street in France takes a calmer view of Germany than his intellectual 'mentors'. According to a survey by the Opinion Way institute, 78 percent of French people and 84 percent of Germans are proud to be European. And 79 percent of both countries believe that the German-French tandem will remain the powerhouse of Europe until 2020."

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