I would like to hear from Chancellor Merkel what she was thinking when opening the borders. I cannot imagine at all what it was.

The Germans are indeed the economically and politically strongest power in Europe. But their superiority does not equal the past and present superiority of the Americans.

The EU treaties clearly promote an alliance of national states that, as far as possible, maintain their own responsibilities. There is no mention of a centralized state of Europe in the treaties. The EU Commission's politicking, however, is proof of a certain allergy against this principle of national states and national responsibilities.

Who lent the Greeks the most money? It was German banks, and for a long time, they were profiting from it quite nicely.

There are historic examples where a soft domination of certain states worked well. For instance the US, who dominated the Western alliance after World War II - with a giant army, an enormous population, and its globally superior economic power. This role is quite different for Germany today.

Germany's potential makes up about 20% of the EU's overall economic power, including Great Britain. The German army is by no means strong enough to guarantee the security of the EU's two endangered flanks - in the east and in the south. So all that remains for Germany is partnerships with its neighbours and other EU member states. Germany should stick to that role.

Brexit was not a historical accident, after all. It taught us where the EU's real problems lie. And if we do not solve them, we will not prevent the anti-European currents in many EU countries, but rather encourage them.