Arnon Grunberg

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Der Spiegel on the new world order:

'Still, it's clear that Merkel desperately needs a plan for how she should react to the challenge of Trump's presidency. In Europe, the time for merely talking about community has passed: It's time for a plan that combines an unavoidable deepening of foreign and security policies with greater national autonomy in other political areas. The Euro Zone needs a common economic policy, for example, with a budget and finance minister of its own. And Merkel needs to think about what long-term position she should take on trade balance surpluses. Germany's export strength is a trademark of its economy, but it is also a significant nuisance to the country's European partners and a target for Trump's protectionist rhetoric. Demands for Germany to increase domestic demand will only grow.

More than anything, though, Germany needs to try as best it can to stand up for the values that Trump is openly questioning. If Merkel stays strong on those issues, it will become more difficult for the new strongman in the White House to carry out his attacks on the liberal order at home.

Trump is the end of the world as we know it -- that much is clear. Or, as the Economist recently wrote: "Things could get much worse."'

Read the article here.

We should not bury the postwar order too early, perhaps this order will turn out to be a new Weimar but I hope that this time the centre will hold a bit longer.

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