Tanja Gönner

Try On the Larger Shoes!

What the world expects of Germany

Preface

Germany sometimes reminds me of a defensive midfielder on the soccer pitch – a confident, seasoned performer who is an expert in his position, playing prudently and proficiently and even providing the impetus for action further up the field now and again. But this midfielder is concentrating so hard on his job that he has failed to notice that the forwards and advance midfielders are depleted due to injury, the reserve players are also thin on the ground, and someone urgently needs to take their place. He has become so accustomed to his task that he sticks obstinately to it, as reliable and precise as ever, but in the new circumstances no longer able to influence the outcome of the game.

Germany is behaving in much the same way today in its global relations. We are keeping a firm hold on what we are used to, and a safe distance from a lot of other things – not so very different from the Cold War era, when Germany was divided. But all that is history now, and the world is in a state of flux. The bipolar system has given way to a polycentric one; new stakeholders and alliances have replaced the rigid old structures. Economic activity pays no heed to national borders, and globalization is part of our everyday lives.

These changes have affected the way the world sees Germany. At the time of reunification there were still many misgivings about a bigger Germany at the center of Europe. Would the Germans revert to self-aggrandizement? Would we go back to the relentless pursuit of German interests? A quarter of a century later, we now find ourselves confronted with the opposite view – with the demand that we need to be more dynamic, get more involved and actively take a stand on the many challenges the world is facing. This, at any rate, is one of the findings of a study conducted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in which 120 politicians, artists, scientists and businesspeople from some two dozen countries were interviewed about their views of Germany. »Germany’s political ambitions unfortunately fall below its potential – its history has a debilitating effect,« commented one of the interviewees, expressing a view held by many. You will find more thought-provoking quotes like this one scattered throughout the following chapters.

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!