Opinion: Germans and how they see themselves

Once upon a time, Germany was considered a haven of efficiency and reliability. Germans, so the narrative went, were gruff and lacked humor but they were punctual and well organized. Their prosperity was supported by many thousands of small businesses and a comparatively strong state.

At the center, a broad middle class and the notion of corporatism that — roughly speaking — followed the old blueprint of dispensing with class struggle by resolving conflict peacefully. Despite strong unions, strikes are rare here. In return, workers generally benefit from the country's not insignificant wealth.

German efficiency just a fallacy

Is it me? Or did that very myth become yesterday's news when the pandemic hit? Change had begun long beforehand — years of disputes over the construction of a new train station in Stuttgart and an airport in Berlin were signs that the tried-and-tested balance of interests was no longer working.

There were conspicuous efforts made to involve all social groups in solving problems but increasingly there were just too many cooks in the kitchen: Federal and state governments, counties and cities, citizens' initiatives and expert committees. The only thing left from the old days was the zeal — when the Germans tackle something, they are all in.

Infrastructure and energy fiascoes, plus a global emissions scandal 

Berlin's new airport is a prime illustration. Grand promises were made, for instance, that its smoke exhaust system would be unlike any other in the world — it never worked. Politicians constantly dreamed up new requests. As a result, the airport only recently opened — years behind schedule and exponentially over budget.

There were other warning signs: The Volkswagen Group, Germany's largest car manufacturer — one in which the state of Lower Saxony is an influential shareholder — deliberately deceived customers to fake compliance with legal emissions standards. And the so-called energy transition aimed at phasing out nuclear power and replacing fossil fuels with renewables — something the Germans wanted to show the world they could do particularly well — is floundering.

Does anybody know what's going on? 

And now, the coronavirus — no one can keep track of the myriad schedules according to which schools are opened in one place and closed in another. The chancellor has apparently given up trying to implement anything bordering on national uniformity in the fight against the pandemic. We were so busy defining and prioritizing groups for vaccination — lists, in typical German fashion, were worked out down to the smallest detail and are difficult to understand — that we forgot to order sufficient doses of vaccine.

Next, the media began running down the AstraZeneca vaccine — the one we have enough of doses of — so much that citizens no longer want it, despite it being demonstrably effective. We can no longer see the forest for the trees!

Pretty smug, we Germans

There are good reasons for much of the confusion. States, for instance, have always been responsible for education. The occasionally absurd differences in policy that result from giving the states control of an issue have long been part of everyday life in Germany, though they tended to be overlooked because the country did well with that kind of federalism on the whole — even as the pandemic began.

At the time, a year ago, it seemed we Germans would also master the pandemic! We had managed the financial, euro and refugee crises better than many others. For a long time there was a great sense of complacency — which can often lead to the risk of missing the next step.

Germany, to put it mildly, needs to fix its digital deficiencies. Where else in Europe are local health authorities faxing data on new infections to their capitals in 2021? Yes, faxing.

Take an honest look 

Germany needs to take an honest look at itself — fast. This is not a call for self-flagellation, another thing Germans are good at. We will remain one of the most economically potent countries in the world. We are committed to international cooperation in pandemic control, climate protection and peacekeeping. Everything is fine.

Nevertheless, we should reassess our situation. First, it was not a good idea to forego investing in the future in order to achieve the "black zero," that sacred budgetary goal of avoiding new federal debt. We generously supported many companies during the pandemic and Germany's short-time work scheme proved a blessing, just as it had during the financial crisis.

However, we are forgetting just how important young start-ups are, self-employed people, artists and others in the culture sector who no one thinks about because they are often not visible as individuals. And they are currently being crushed by bureaucracy.

Germany during and after the pandemic

It is time for a debate on what needs to change in Germany after the pandemic, or how Germany can even remain well-positioned as future pandemics knock at the door. We need an efficient and effective state with as few hierarchies as possible. We need to take a new look at contemporary forms of autonomy and federalism where appropriate but should also bet on more centralism when needed — and a little less smugness wouldn't be a bad idea, either.