With Germany’s reunification, the main impetus behind the integration process was removed, the financial crisis unleashed a process of disintegration. The decisive moment came after Lehman Brothers collapsed, and authorities had to guarantee that no other systemically important financial institution would be allowed to fail.
随着德国的重新统一，欧洲一体化进程的主要推动力已经不复存在，金融危机则拉开了欧洲分裂的序幕。决定性的时刻发生在雷曼兄弟公司倒闭后，各国必须保证不会再有具系统重要性的金融机构破产。德国总理默克尔坚持认为不应该实行欧盟联合担保，各国必须自己打扫自己的后院。这就是今日欧元危机的根源。