Bureaucracy and strategic blunders are starting to pile up
Every country has bumbling officialdom. But Germany’s has an exceptional fondness for sabotaging itself. The cost of the battle between autobahns and windmills, for example, is not just economic but strategic. Last year’s abrupt halting of Russian fuel imports sent the country scrambling for power, preferably local and renewable. Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, says Germany needs to build three or four new wind turbines daily to reach its emissions-reduction targets.
Other examples of German own goals abound. The government’s decision, in the midst of the energy crisis, to mothball its last three nuclear power plants has benefited neither the country’s energy consumers nor its citizens’ health, as dirty coal plants had to be fired up temporarily to meet demand.
Penny-pinching has embarrassed German diplomats too: the under-funded Luftwaffe has trouble maintaining the official air fleet, and has twice this summer stranded Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister, at airports abroad. More deeply worrying is the substance of a series of decisions which the country took seemingly on autopilot, and has come to regret.
Less obvious decisions have undermined Germany’s standing in smaller ways. Two former spy chiefs complain that excessive oversight and political squeamishness have hamstrung intelligence gathering. Germany failed until the last minute to believe that Russia would invade Ukraine; the lack of an agency specialised in electronic eavesdropping may help explain that.
It is also true that when German governments screw up, they are more diligent than most about fixing things. Mr Scholz’s government, for instance, is at long last investing strongly in energy, transport and information infrastructure. It has quickly built up alternative sources to replace Russian fuel and has bet heavily on emerging technologies such as hydrogen. The coalition is even planning a Bureaucracy Relief Act that promises to cut red tape.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Is Germany once again the sick man of Europe?Its ills are different from 1999. But another stiff dose of reform is still needed
Read more »
Germany to cut Huawei from networks 'irrespective of costs'What a difference four years makes
Read more »
All or Nothing Trailer shows explosive teammate bust-ups during Germany World Cup disasterAmazon’s All or Nothing covering Germany’s World Cup disaster promises to be their most explosive football documentary yet. A trailer has been released ahead of the behind-the-scenes series release…
Read more »
Bayern boss Tuchel responds to Stefan Ortega question amid City exit reportsManchester City's second-choice shot-stopper has been linked with a transfer back to Germany and Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out the move
Read more »
'Running monster' - German media react to Wataru Endo Liverpool transferWataru Endo's move to Liverpool has been met with positive responses in Germany as VfB Stuttgart are set to lose their captain
Read more »
Bike-tyre maker Schwalbe’s HQ embraces sustainability through designThe new Schwalbe office building in Germany, featuring interiors designed by Archiproba Studios, champions contemporary sustainable architecture
Read more »