Why Germany is Leading From Behind
Josef Joffe
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Josef Joffe is Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and Senior Fellow of the Kissinger Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Publisher of Die Zeit, and author of numerous books on global affairs. He is also a former AICGS trustee.
With so much resting on the euro for Germany, why does Chancellor Merkel continue to avoid taking full control of the reigns in Europe? In his essay Why Germany is Leading From Behind, which originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal on November 4, 2011, Josef Joffe, Editor of Die Zeit and AGI trustee, argues that Germany has a lot to lose in the current euro zone crisis. While the markets most often look to Angela Merkel for answers, it seems that a case of history is holding her back from truly leading her European counterparts.
