Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the French presidential elections last month put the smile back on Berlin’s face. But it wasn’t just a sign of happiness about the defeat of Marine Le Pen, the French nationalist right-winger who had promised to make cooperation in the European Union all but impossible. It was about something much deeper than that. Macron’s victory was a sign of hope for Germans that soon they would no longer be alone in Europe.
One of the great misperceptions in the current debate about Germany in Europe is that Berlin somehow harbours aspirations to dominate the EU, and that being Europe’s last bastion of both economic success and sober, stable politics, this would suit the country well.
