Germany / Hoping for a new summer fairy tale

Last Sunday’s result in the European elections was shocking for the two major countries of Europe, with what this may imply for the operation of the infamous axis that theoretically connects them. In France, Emmanuel Macron appears determined to take a risk by calling early elections and once again posing familiar dilemmas to the electorate.

In Germany, Olaf Scholz’s defeat for the Greens (mainly), but also the Social Democrats, was mostly met with awkward silence. Dissatisfaction with the government reflects a more general “grudging” that seems to have welled up within society over the past two years, sometimes leading to apathy and disdain for the political system and sometimes to anger that has manifested itself in the extremely polarized and even violent climate that prevailed in the pre-election battle and the successes of the Far Right.

Many wonder whether Mr. Soltz’s relative apathy has to do with a lack of strategy or the hope for a change in the climate because of the big pan-European celebration of soccer, which began on Friday in Munich and will spread to a total of 10 cities across the country in the coming weeks. In the past few days, nostalgic tributes to the “summer fairy tale” of 2006 have been abundant on German television, giving hope for a repeat of that social phenomenon.

Then Germany hosted an even bigger soccer event, the World Cup, and the conclusion of the foreign press and hundreds of thousands of visitors was that they met the “good German”. Cheerful, welcoming and foreign-speaking. Germans took to the streets in the tricolor of their flag without being accused of nationalism, without causing fear, waving flags in crowded squares, next to excited exotic visitors. A young national team with plenty of immigrant offspring, such as Polish-born Miroslav Klose, the tournament’s top scorer, thrilled men, women and children in the stands of state-of-the-art stadiums, and Angela Merkel changed the colors of her jackets as she “officially” applauded the conquest at last. of third place. A wave of unexpected euphoria and self-confidence swept the country at the beginning, in effect, of the long Merkel era.

The relationship between football, society and politics in the country is almost metaphysical, if we consider that we are talking about the strongest economy in Europe and not about a “soccer woman” of Latin America or, finally, Africa. THE National team constitutes an real indicator of what is happening, but also what can happen.

From 1954 to 2014

In 2014, for example, the young team of 2006 had matured and was expressing global German supremacy at a time when the planet and many European countries, such as Greece, were struggling to save themselves from bankruptcy. The German National Team won the World Cup by earlier dragging the hosts Brazil, for many the “real homeland of the ball”, into their home. Merkel was at the height of her glory. A little later, Barack Obama anointed her as his successor in the position of president. The confidence of Joachim Loew’s players could only be compared to that of Wolfgang Schäuble in the Eurogroups. The average German believed that he could teach the rest of the planet’s inhabitants “ballistica”, but also the value of virtues such as “virtuous economic life”.

The World Cup of reunification

Winning another World Cup 24 years earlier had come in handy for reunification chancellor Helmut Kohl, helping him triumph in the first general election since the annexation of the former East Germany in 1990, which was completed shortly afterwards. The triumph in Rome probably gave an overdose of national pride to the sections of society that already had such tendencies and caused worldwide concern about the “new Germany” that was re-emerging on the world stage. The assurances of the giant Christian Democrat chancellor that his united country is not turning against anyone did not convince everyone and unfortunately in some places they remained only verbal, to finally end up victims of oblivion.

For the fanatics, this double political and football success was also a belated revenge for the only defeat in the history of the West by East Germany in the 1974 World Cup, again on German soil, which left a bitter taste for the eventual champions, the West Germans.

The more old-fashioned and romantic again brought to mind the “Miracle of Bern” in 1954, when Puskas’ skilled Magyars were defeated after a mud battle that favored the hard-nosed Germans 3-2. The victory nourished all the post-war stereotypes about the strength, discipline and self-sacrifice of the German race, it united the Germans, it gave them the opportunity to identify with a homeland that bore the guilt for the millions dead of B´ World War, but also the shame of defeat. Nine years after the end of the war, the country had the opportunity to project a new self, to look at its partners with optimism and self-confidence. This was followed by the years of the “economic miracle” under the chancellorship of Konrad Adenauer.

It would be naive to expect a new miracle today, although the prudent are betting on the magic 4 (1954, 1974, 2014). But the optimism index in the coming months will definitely be affected by the result of the team with the eagle on the chest. And certainly such a large event with visitors from 23 countries and lasting a month is also a huge economic stimulus for a number of sectors. Olaf Solz may therefore hope that his compatriots will see him in a less critical mood. Although Merkel’s official “charms” will certainly be missed by many.