The going seems good in Germany right now. The economy is booming. Unemployment is at record lows. Inflation is negligible. Public finances are in rude health. The crises in the eurozone and over refugees have abated. And veteran Chancellor Angela Merkel, who made a flying visit to Washington on April 27, has finally formed a new coalition government.
So it’s perhaps understandable that Germany has been content to coast along with its existing economic policies in Europe and at home. Why mess with an ostensibly winning formula? Steady-as-she-goes, business-as-usual Merkelism seems successful and safe.
