In the 1990s and early 2000s, German was known as the sick man of Europe. Really, it was only in remission. Thanks to bold reforms implemented by the early noughties Schröder Social Democrat-led government, Germany was able to navigate the turbid waters of 2010s’ successive crises. However, Schröder’s ‘Agenda 2010’ was a short-lived change of pace. Instead of boldly pressing on and making Germany future proof, the Merkel administration has offered a stability that some could call stagnation. Since 2005 Merkel has been leading a grand coalition of conservatives made up of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its sister party Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democrats. It was only briefly interrupted by the failed project of a Conservative-Liberal Alliance from 2009 to 2013 that almost led to the complete demise of the Free Democratic Party (FDP). Over these years, the Merkel administrations might have been successful as crisis managers but they have failed to prepare the cou...