German Europe: The Euro Crisis and New Perspectives on Power

A Study of Germany's Political and Ideological Hegemony in Europe In a famous speech delivered in Hamburg in 1953, Thomas Mann warned the Germans about the danger of once again striving for a "German Europe." He also warned that achieving a "European Germany" would be far less catastrophic. But in the wake of the euro crisis, that's precisely what happened. With a "Merkiavellian" policy, the author jokes, referring to Angela Merkel's leadership, Germany became hegemonic in Europe, both politically and ideologically. As the continent's economic leader, it can dictate to eurozone countries the conditions for obtaining new loans, including the elimination of the participation rights of the Greek, Italian, Spanish, and even German parliaments. What are the consequences of Germany's controversial containment policy for the European balance of power? What solutions are possible in the conflict between the architects of Europe and the orthodox adherents of the nation-state? How to reconcile the imperatives of crisis resolution and democracy in the face of Europe's risk? These are the questions Ulrich Beck addresses. He concludes that a new European social contract is needed: one that, through the very idea of Europe, guarantees more freedom, more social security, and more democracy. • Ulrich Beck became known for his "theory of the risk society," which argues that the current distribution of risks is incapable of accounting for the social, economic, and geographic differences of modernity, which would lead to global-scale problems that are much more difficult to control. • He is one of Germany's most respected sociologists and teaches in Munich, London, and Harvard.