In this regard, France is the most worrying nation in Europe today. Germany needs a neighbour with a strong economy, not an inferiority complex. If "power" is a taboo concept in Germany, in France it is terms such as "German model", "competitiveness" and "globalisation".

Another point of view says that Germany is the most worrying nation in Europe today, because its export-economy model is based on beggaring its neighbours. That France (and other EZ countries) need a neighbour with less of a superiority complex, and a strong economy much more solidly based on domestic demand. In point of fact, the terms "German model", "competitiveness", and "globalisation" are not taboo in France, they are constantly repeated by the punditry and the politicians and magnified by the media (example, Hollande next to Merkel before "German youth" yesterday saying that France had a "competitiveness" problem that needed to be fixed).

But if "power" is a taboo term in Germany (I don't know, but haven't seen much reference to German debate around the concept) it's about time that changed. Germany is currently exercising exhorbitant power within the Eurozone, and refusing to recognize any problem other than "they're not doing their homework".

Sorry, but the current celebrations have no more serious basis as far as I can see than the old Merkozy circus.