The German problem? It’s an analogue country in a digital world | Larry Elliott
Germany was once an economic model to emulate but its reliance on industries past their sell-by date is costing it dear
Sir Keir Starmer is not the first Labour leader to hanker after a closer relationship between Britain and Germany. Jim Callaghan snuggled up close to the chancellor Helmut Schmidt in the 1970s, and ever since there has been a sense among the social democratic left in the UK that there is much to be learned from Europe’s biggest economy.
The Germans, it has been said repeatedly down the decades, have a superior model of capitalism: based on good design and skilled workmanship; stable, long-term funding arrangements between businesses and the banks; a more consensual system of industrial relations; a network of medium-sized companies, many of them family-owned; a top-notch system of vocational and technical training that ensures a steady supply of skilled, productive workers.
Continue reading...Date: |
More from The Guardian
-
The Guardian - World
Trump ‘safe’ after gunshots reported in his vicinity at golf course
Conflicting reports about whether ex-president was target of reported gunshots at Florida Trump National Golf Club. The Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump , is safe following gunshots ...31 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
The Guardian - World
‘Catastrophe of epic proportions’: eight drown in Europe amid heavy floods
Storm Boris has caused rivers to burst banks and trapped people in their homes across Austria, Poland and Slovakia. Eight people have drowned in Austria, Poland and Romania and four others are ...4 hours ago -
The Guardian - World
Eight people dead in attempt to cross Channel, say French authorities
Investigation opens in France into deaths as David Lammy says UK could process asylum claimants in third country. Eight people died overnight trying to cross the Channel from France to England, ...3 hours ago -
The Guardian - World
Netanyahu tells Houthis they will pay ‘heavy price’ as missile hits Israel
Rebel group claims what would be first missile to have landed in Israel from Yemen, but no reports of casualties. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned Yemen’s Houthi rebels ...1 hour ago - Israel -
The Guardian - World
JD Vance admits he is willing to ‘create stories’ to get media attention
Republican vice-presidential candidate defends spreading false, racist claims demonizing Haitian immigrants. In a stunning admission, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance , said he ...4 hours ago