The Euro crisis has given Germany a dominant role in the EU. But it was never meant to be like that. On the contrary, starting with the Coal and Steel Community the purpose of the new European cooperation was to create an institution with supranational, common control. The Commission was meant to be the crucial instrument, and the summit - the European Council - an emergency breake or a rebalancing tool for the national level.
The Euro crisis gave the summit increased importance, and Germany, with its strong economy and large debt claims, became a dominant country in the European cooperation. Chancellor Merkel has often been referred to as the word´s most powerful woman.
Now the power structure seems to be changing again. Germany's dominance may have culiminated with Merkel's self-proclaimed open doors ("Wir schaffen das") in autumn 2015 and the EU's attempts to force member states to receive refugee quotas. Protests against this policy is now growing both in Germany and in other member states.
After defeats for her party in German elections Merkel has now regretted her own migration policy. Still she resists to introduce caps for refugees, but to day EurActiv reports that Merkel’s veteran Minister of Finance, Wolfgang Schäuble, has jumped to the defence of her conservatives’ Bavarian sister party in the latest twist in a row over migrants "that is damaging her re-election prospects". The Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) wants to cap the number of migrants coming into Germany at 200,000 a year.
Combined with the opposition against austerity the escalating migration revolt is a strong impetus for reform of EU policy and decision-making system. The demands for changes are pushed forward through political processes in member countries. To call this opposition to political correctness "populism" is unhelpful. It is in reality a democratic expression of dissatisfaction with the consequences of decision making within a bubble of group thinking dominated not least by Germany.
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