Germans are upset at being asked to support countries that do not seem to want to adjust – unlike Germany, which is competitive because it endured years of pain: low wage increases to absorb the former East Germany’s workers and deep labor-market and pension reforms. The unwillingness of the Greek rich to pay taxes, or of Italian parliamentarians to cut their own perks, confirms Germans’ fears.
从短期看，德国（以及北欧）不会再为其他国家掏腰包了。德国对于自己被要求支持不愿调整的国家感到十分不安，这些国家和德国不同，德国用多年的痛苦换来了竞争力：低工资有所增长以吸收前东德的工作人口；劳动力和退休金也得到了深刻的改革。而希腊富人不愿纳税，意大利议员也不愿削减所享受的待遇，这些都证实了德国的担心。与此同时，德国政客也没能很好地向人民解释德国从欧元中获得了多少好处。