Merkel's Coalition Partner Blasts Her Austerity Policy That Is Destroying The EU

Angela Merkel's coalition partner has finally had enough of useless austerity. Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), signaled his break with Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in an interview over the weekend. Gabriel stated his preferred result of the upcoming German elections would be a coalition of the SPD, the Green party and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). The SPD and the Christian Democrats have engaged in a "grand coalition" for eight of the last twelve years.

Gabriel had this to say about Merkel, her obsession with austerity, and the stat of the European Union, "It is indecent that states like France and Italy, that are going through reform, have to spend so much energy to be allowed to go half a percentage point higher in their budget deficit. I once asked the chancellor, what would be more costly for Germany: for France to be allowed to have half a percentage point more deficit, or for Marine Le Pen to become president? Until today, she still owes me an answer". He added that that "It is no longer unthinkable that it [the EU] breaks apart."

Years of austerity insisted on by Germany, and that includes the SPD, have only managed to empower extremists across the European Union, mostly on the far right but also on the left. In Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, and even in Germany itself. Some of that is a reaction to immigration and scapegoating of EU rules as an excuse for poor economic performance. But much of it is a reaction to the useless austerity that has only impeded economic recovery from the financial crisis. As a bonus to the unnecessary pain, austerity policies actually benefited Germany despite its being the strongest economy in the region.

Gabriel has no illusions that his message will have a hard time reaching German voters who have been brainwashed for the last decade about the frivolous nature of other Eurozone countries, especially those in Southern Europe, saying "I know that this discussion is extremely unpopular".  He is probably right. Both the CDU/CSU and the SPD are seeing their popularity fall to new lows while the only parties that are seeing an uptick in approval are the Left and the anti-immigrant AfD. So, while this might be too late for Gabriel and possible even for Merkel, it might also be far too late to save the EU.