Wolfgang Streeck: The end of the German empire

UnHerd's Freddie Sayers speaks to economic historian Prof. Wolfgang Streeck about the crisis in Germany and its implications for the future of Europe.

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// TIMECODES //

00:00 - 01:40 - Introduction
01:40 - 04:19 - How did Germany get into this current economic crisis?
04:19 - 10:20 - Does Germany’s post-war history explain the flaws in its economy?
10:20 - 14:24 - Does the Euro give Germany’s economy a structural advantage in the EU?
14:24 - 20:28 - If Germany’s economy crumbles, could the EU break up?
20:28 - 25:25 - Angela Merkel’s disastrous legacy
25:25 - 32:16 - How have Germany and the West responded to the Ukraine war?
32:16 - 38:06 - War, energy crisis, economic turmoil - what happens next?
38:06 - 44:35 - What does the future of geopolitics look like?
44:35 - 45:14 - Concluding thoughts

#UnHerd #EuropeEnergyCrisis #UkraineWar

[tudorarter]

Excellent presentation by the professor, so lucid and informative. If only the BBC and other so-called mainstream media could offer interviews as good as this!

[TheStickinator]

You Germans need to do something about Klaus Schwab and us Americans need to do something about Bill Gates.

[johnawakening]

What a lovely man Wolfgang Streeck is. A straight thinker and a human! Good job Freedie! ;-)

[FrankTheThinkTank]

In German mainstream media, public or private, they would never let him say, what he said here. Awesome Conversation, thank you very much.

[yousseflahbabi]

As always, a quality interview with ideas you wouldnt hear somewhere else. Always a pleasure to watch these videos

[keithsewell]

Many thanks for a lucid and informed discussion. Thank you Prof. Streeck and Unheard -- well done.

[fraserbailey]

10 minutes in and nothing that we haven't all known for a long time. That said, one has to admire Herr Streeck for having been critical of Merkel while everyone else thought she was wonderful. That makes two of us.

[elzbietamayers]

Huge thanks to Freddie or interviewing this extremely wise, intelligent and impartial ( quality almost completely absent now days ) professor. Absolutely exceptional content! This should be mandatory viewing for anybody who genuinely desires to understand what the world is all about in our current very worrying times.

[saltburner]

This reinforces my view that it was - on balance - wise and necessary for the UK to leave the EU.

[violin-schwerin]

excellent programme! Germany has pursued a very flawed policy for at least 20 years, the cost of which has now come to roost.

[ianbanks]

Many thanks to all involved in this production for a very interesting and informative listen and the wonderful way you actually allow people time to think and talk . These days that's priceless .

[anonnemo]

Sadly, so much of Prof. Streeck's prognostications, particularly those regarding the EU and Germany seem destined to become true. A brilliant interview, however, and so refreshing to hear such serious subjects discussed in measured tones.

[thewrightoknow]

This is an excellent interview. These interviews are why I pay for UnHerd every year!

[mikegurv]

Yes, let's play naive here. After everything that has happened let's have a repeat of the Minsk agreement. I find it interesting that when the West does something then it's politics, but when Russia does something similar it's aggression. Freddie is quick to point out that Ukraine is an independent country and almost anything that is done against Russia, at this point, is justified. But he conveniently forgets that at this very moment the US is occupying part of Syria, also an independent country, member of the United Nations, stealing and selling its oil. And neither of them analyze their own comments. Yes, US wanted every member of NATO to spend 2% on "defense", while walking away from arms control treaties. How about stating the obvious? It's all about the military industrial complex (you can call it deep state if you wish) making money.

[israeldiegoriverageniusth]

No to vaccine passports, mandates or lockdowns

[mldb]

Pure common sense that a lot of fools will disregard as negativism or being too pessimistic... You don't need to be a geopolitical analyst to see what's happening in front of our eyes, but it's refreshing (albeit also alarming and terrifying) to hear prestigious analysts spelling out the obvious. Thank you for interviewing him. The question is, how do we stop this madness our "representatives" are pulling us into....? Praying alone, I think, will not be enough...

[Kevin]

In my opinion it comes down to alot of factors but its not just Germany, entire EU is going under... why? because sanctions, crazy covid policies, crazy green ideas that are not sustainable. EU thought they could fight 3 wars at once and that the economy would somehow be fine, which was naive and delusional. Now we will pay the price for that.

[leonardofacchin]

The interview is interesting, but to me the most important question was not asked: if Germany was so reliant on the globalized economy, why did the German political class decided to go along with the US attempt to divide Europe and Germany from Russia and China to the point of damaging the long supply chains Germany depended on? How was Germany induced and convinced to do harm to herself? Understanding this would be the first step in order to try to understand what might happen from now on.

Anyway, in my opinion the point of no return has already been crossed. When the Russians started their military operation in Ukraine they did so because they had definitevely given up on the possibility of weaving a sane and healthy relationship with the West and Europe. They came to this decision after YEARS of attempts at developing a funcional relationship with Europe.

So, the die is cast. There is no going back now. The Russians know it. Maybe at first they thought that a show of force would press Ukraine and Europe into a more cooperative mood. And the first few weeks of the war did indeed see some attempt at negotiations, before the UK (and the US, but mostly the UK) pressed Zelensky into ceasing any attempt at finding a negotiated solution.
A few weeks after the failure of the negotiations, the Russians settled for a long operation that they are conducting with a small military force that they preserve by grinding their enemy with artillery. Russia bet that times is on her side, and I honestly think the Russians are right.

[sbaumgartner]

Thank you Freddie for having Professor Streeck on your program. I'm now interested in hearing more on his thinking. I'd have liked to hear Prof. Streeck's opinion on how the Syrian refugees are now doing in Germany, and how they might fare if Germany experiences more challenges. Freddie - I'd also like you to interview other people who can speak on the challenges other European countries are facing. e.g. The Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, eastern regions, etc.etc.

[dnickaroo]

A Leading British Banker stated that the only chance for the UK is to make an Agreement with Russia concerning Energy. But who can do that? The Professor asked the question: “Are we going to be more than agents of the US?” The UK must ask themselves the very same question. The US could not care less what happens to Europe.