Exceptionalism does not sound like an insult, but it is, albeit, not a harsh one.
These days it is on almost every European's mouth. For most it represents a distancing of objective, and to many others, an utter lack of understanding of both the differences in each European union country's needs, and the needs of citizens less wealthy than the Germans.
And many see the recurrence of this troubling trait it as a foretold destiny. Not long ago, in 1987, some people dared to say that allowing Germany to be one again would be putting the future of Europe at risk. Because a strong and wealthy Germany is a threat to the rest of the union, they said.
But this indifference from Germany's citizens to the plight of other members of the union is unjustified. There seems to be a disconnect between the understanding of the consequence of the Euro adoption in less wealthy countries and the German citizen's ability to gladly take the receipts of interest loans doled out to many countries in the same union as bailout.
This vision with 'blinders' is doing exactly the opposite of what was the intent of European unification. It is actually providing fodder for loathing and contempt for a people who seem too self absorbed.
The vision Germany has of a European economic efficiency is lost on many outside its borders. And that is because culturally Germans are different. But tolerance seems to have been lost in the translation.
What is more astounding is that their one sided vision of the union notwithstanding, the Germans are all for the Euro zone and European unification, while many of the countries that have not fared well under the change would like to leave it.
What might at play then, are the long simmering antipathies between member countries of the EU. And these ill feelings are not going away soon. Out of eight countries surveyed, people in six of them think of Germans as arrogant and self absorbed. Although all of them also concede that they are the most professional and trustworthy. Indeed corruption in Germany is at a minimum compared to many of the other member states.
The Germans for their part are stuck in the age old rut of preconceptions: Italians and Greeks are not to be trusted, the French are appallingly arrogant, and the British uncaring.
It remains to be seen then, if the economic turnout of the union members widens the distance with their wealthy neighbor or bridges the gap. Serious money say the latter won't. And the economic conditions of some of the countries faring the worse are not going to be resolved soon, if at all.
Source : Spiegel Online 5.14.13
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