Where EU Commission President José Manual Barroso in terms of coordinated economic - and financial policy is, at least since the recent Negotiations on the EU rescue clear. The strong, suggests Barroso, must support the weak, help at the expense of incentives to get himself out of the mess. But what the European Commission for information of the weekly "Die Zeit" is now written as a position paper on coordinated economic policy, takes the biscuit from the floor.
If individual countries such as Germany - and probably soon, Austria - too successful, they should take measures to reduce their competitiveness. Benchmarks to ensure the plans of the EU Commission is too high current account surplus and are low labor costs.
Granted, I'm a fan of Europe. And clearly see how much has just Germany benefits from the introduction of the euro. After all, unlike the days of the D-Mark, more efficiency, better production structures and a sounder financial policy now been removed no longer exchange rate changes . In case financial compensation, now in the debt crisis, I am, therefore, the arguments of those to not completely closed, the call for support to crisis countries because of the strong economies.
But the Commission's ideas go too far. They would harm the EU. The logic behind it: Germany's productivity and competitiveness is too high, partly because the workers have received in recent years to small wage increases. The are in fact risen less rapidly than productivity. An increase in price competitiveness and thus the foreign trade surplus. Why now have Greek or Irish workers as long renounce wages until their economies stand equally well. Why should we not force the powerful countries simply to reduce the imbalances, for example through higher pay of their employees?
The answer is simple: Because it apart from the EU or other regions in the world There. If Europe's most competitive throttles countries, not only with other EU countries will benefit, but also to countries outside Europe. And the problems of the region in terms of debt is not thereby reduced.
The fundamental dispute over the future cooperation in Europe reminds me a little of the debate that Germany has for some years in education policy. How, the question is, can we improve student performance in international comparison? Elite is a comprehensive school funding or the right answer? There are all sorts of positions and a strong case for a lot. On the idea of all students a reference issue when they write in any subject is a one, but it came no one.
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