For Germans, austerity, in the form of sustained wage and income restraint, was an important part of the growth-oriented reforms that their country completed in 2006. Much time and effort was devoted to ensuring that the considerable burden of restoring flexibility, productivity, and competitiveness was shared equitably across the population.
那么，如何看待被激烈讨论的紧缩和增长之间的冲突？我认为，此冲突基于一个被严重误解的基础。对德国来说，紧缩——表现为持续的工资和收入抑制——是该国于2006年完成的增长导向改革的重要组成部分。德国人花费了巨大的时间和精力确保重塑灵活性、生产率和竞争力的沉重负担由全体德国人公平地共同承担。