I read somewhere that in order to gain France’s acceptance of German reunification, the Germans had to swallow the Euro. All along the rest of Europe sought to live a life of leisure on the back of the German economy. Now that reunification is a fact, the Germans can pull the plug on the Euro. Let the frogs and the other “southern European” states form their “bloc.” Once the Germans cut the lifeline, they will drown in their debt.
For over a century, the French have been fighting the forces of history that indicate that the Germans will dominate Europe. They were lucky that the first two times the Germans tried, the Germans tried it militarily, had idiots for leaders, and the French had lots of friends. Now, the Germans are going about it economically, and the French have no friends.
TFB.
Maybe the matter will be settled as the Europeans tend to do, by a good ol’ fashioned war.
If Germany pulls out of the Euro zone and takes the Nordic countries with them, exactly who does France have left to prop up the currency?
Would the Benelux countries stay in the Euro zone under such circumstances? I highly doubt it. They may have relatively healthy economies, but they are just too small to shoulder the burden. Even Ireland would be likely to balk given that they are the most productive of those which would remain.
I'm not anxious for the economic turmoil which will result, but it would be kind of fun seeing the French workers forced to support Spain, Italy and Greece in order to preserve the Euro. Their egos of being the biggest player in the Euro zone might get them to go along with it for awhile. But, sooner or later, TSHTF!
The northern barbarians didn't call the Romans welshers for nothing :-)