Fascism in Europe

Germany has been pretty cautious throughout the Euro crisis, and there are good reasons for this German caution.

Firstly Germany is a democracy, and the voters are feeling pretty cautious. As would the voters of any other country that was being asked to bail out its neighbours.

Secondly there is an election coming. In four days' time.

But also there are other reasons, specific to German history. Because of the second world war, there is still something of a guilt complex in the national psyche. And because of the terrible suffering of the 1930s depression, there is a terrible fear of inflation.

These two things are linked. It is true that Germany was probably affected worse than any other western nation by the great depression, but that is not the only reason the Germans fear inflation. The chaos of the great depression, allied with a ruling elite discredited and largely dispossessed by the disaster of losing world war one, is what left the door ajar for the Nazis in the first place.

So it is not some Nazi like sense of superiority that makes Germany so reluctant to bet the farm on rescuing southern Europe so much as the fearful folk memory of the disaster that unfolded last time the country lost control of its economy.

This is very difficult to understand from a British perspective. I am over 40, I cannot remember a time when I thought we did have control of our economy. Nor point to any such time in the last century.

But today we look south towards Greece, where they have had a real fascist style political assassination. The authorities dress it up as an argument over a football match, but really Golden Dawn have sent a mob down there to cover a premeditated attack.

Now figures on the left speak of 'banning' Golden Dawn. What idiocy. People are turning to Golden Dawn from a sense of hopelessness and alienation. How will 'banning' them help? Will it make the political system more inclusive? Will it spread hope?

There is a potential tragedy unfolding before our eyes. That is in its fear of the fascism of the past, Germany enforces an austerity on Southern Europe which, rather than saving us from the 1930s, creates a new fascism of the 21st century.

Perhaps Ms Merkel can alter course after the election. Perhaps the German electorate will swing further to the left than anyone expects. The tragedy is not yet complete. But we need a change in direction to avoid it. I cannot see that change can come from Greece, or from anywhere other than Germany.