On February 11th, 2006, The Economist published a critical report with the title ‚Waiting for a Wonder’ in regards to the situation in Germany and promptly the editorial staff of the highly regarded magazine got caught in the cross-fire, especially since the assessment looked totally different during the times of the government of Gerhard Schröder. Back then, The Economist drew a picture with beautiful colors and fantastic perspectives. Today, the editors are drawing the picture with dreary colors and little perspectives. Have the results of the parliamentary elections in 2005 caused this mood swing?

Anyway, the current condition of German leaves many possibilities for interpretation. The Agenda 2010, which Chancellor Schröder initiated, has undoubtedly brought many new approaches for the required changes. These changes have become necessary in Germany, so that the people and the country as a whole will get perspectives with precise outlines.

With this parliamentary election the citizens have incapacitated the politicians and thus most likely created an even bigger vacuum then the one we already had and which the Agenda 2010 was supposed to do away with.

Germany is suffering from the fact that board rooms of the large groups giving structure to society, such as political parties and trade unions have been afflicted with consumption for quite some time. This applies to the political parties the same way as it does to trade unions and the economy as a whole, the pillars of social help organizations and churches.

Those dealing with the economy demand a modern social market economy, based on the ideas of Ludwig Erhard. The Social Democrats still feel generous and they want continue to make out bills to be redeemed later. The trade unions fight for survival. In regards to social programs, nobody really knows anymore for sure, what to think of them. First and foremost the argument is about what is more important, a liberal economic system or a country providing for everyone? Many still believe that a country providing for everyone is also a ‚socialist country’ and thus the ‚social’ topic conveniently takes care of itself. Only the churches seem to have a future-oriented new self-image, whereas the ‚German’ pope is coming to the rescue.

Chancellor Merkel is doing little to quickly curb the current revelry. She is not really putting guidelines into effect and what she honestly and candidly speaks of is more or less understood. She actually might be giving unperceived guidelines. Honesty and candor have become rare in the past, not due to high demand but because fundamental values are diminishing.

After the past tumultuous one hundred years, Germany is now experiencing a period of self-discovery. Lately, this period was shaped through the dream of many of money, best of all loaned money, to buy anything and even become rich on top of it.

I think what we are currently experiencing in Germany does have a silver lining. Germany is still enormously effective. With powerful and responsible executives the German economy is going to be successful again in all areas.

The majority of the people know very well that they are going to have to take matters into their own hands, that there is no pay without performance and that the responsibility for oneself cannot be put on others.

The people have a more differentiated and clear-cut moral concept. They know exactly that consumption is not the key to happiness.

I think that the people are increasingly rediscovering the force that lies within their uniqueness. And the less they are expecting of politicians, the more self-assured they utilize their knowledge and skills in the economy and the more they see being a citizen in the sense of defending values, the faster the whole country is going to be able to find its role in Europe and a global world.

One thing is totally obvious: Germany is not waiting for a wonder. The headline of the article surely was only the result of a poor choice of words. What is more important, in my opinion, is that The Economist describes the given realities in Germany rather strikingly.

What does that mean for our work? We have to endeavor to develop and implement strategies with lots of empathy to find the right products and services for the wants and needs of people. The change of values has to attract more attention. Growth requirements need to be well-founded and communication has to have ‚the right of way’.

I think that if we who operate in the economy stick to what it is we ask of politicians, if we feel responsibility towards the people as we expect it from those in charge of social help organizations and the church, if we practice truthfulness, we can make our contribution so that Germany can experience a true re-launch. And then we are going to see the 2.5 percent economic growth that Germany needs in order to get the biggest problem, the degrading unemployment, under control.