Michael Stürmer, chief correspondent of Die Welt daily, confirmed an unshaken German confidence in Ireland’s prospects that combines idealism about the island with a nuanced understanding of the “very specific reasons” of the economic crisis.
Recent tensions in the debate between the two countries, he said, derived from a mutual failure to grasp each other’s fundamental national trauma: emigration in Ireland and German fear of inflation.
“For Ireland, being driven out rather than being able to live on the land is a collective instinct, much as we Germans believe that having solid money in our pockets is important for our self-respect,” he said.
Ireland should seize chance to execute ideas learnt abroad, Berlin forum hears
Huh. I have my doubts about the idea of national psychologies, but this is interesting… and kinda positive?
