Hardly a German government representative is more notorious than Wolfgang Schäuble - worldwide. During the international financial crisis, when Schäuble was Germany's Minister of Finance, his EU counterparts trembled: Schäuble wanted to force them to adapt harsh austerity measures. Because the foreseeable social consequences would cost lives, Schäuble's tactics seemed to scare Europe with "traumatic effects" and gave it a lesson in German economic ethics: Teutonic brutality and at all costs. "Terrifying," was the assessment the US Treasury Secretary made following his conversation with Schäuble. Paris and Madrid were also apprehensive; Athens called Schäuble an "arsonist," on a rampage through Europe. Schäuble has since climbed higher on the government ladder. Schäuble now ranks second, after the President, in the Federal Republic of Germany's protocolary system. Whatever he says carries weight. And he uses this position. In the midst of the Corona crisis, Schäuble initiated an interview, considered to be an unofficial guideline for the German state's life and death decisions. Its tenor deserves attention, even beyond Germany's borders. (more...)
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