Country Quote by George Soros
“Germany will always do the minimum to preserve the euro. Doing the minimum, though, will perpetuate the situation where the debtor countries in Europe have to pay tremendous premiums to refinance their debt. The result will be a Europe in which Germany is seen as an imperial power that will not be loved and admired by the rest of Europe - but hated and resisted, because it will perceived as an oppressive power.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public remarks on European fiscal policy, 2015
Germany's minimal support for the euro may cause other European debtors to pay high refinancing costs, leading to resentment and a perception of German imperialism.
In simple terms: Germany's minimal euro support can cause resentment and high debt costs.
Key Takeaway
Avoid short‑term fixes; pursue balanced fiscal cooperation.
Themes
economics
politics
European Union
debt
power dynamics
Mood
concerned
critical
Type
political
economic
When to use this quote
- government budgeting
- Eurozone negotiations
- debt restructuring
- public opinion
- international relations
Key Concepts
fiscal policy
imperialism
solidarity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can Germany balance national interests with Eurozone stability?
- What alternatives exist to prevent debt‑premium spikes?
A Different Perspective
Short‑term austerity may worsen long‑term instability.
![“[Young people] can't do much with [student debt] other than try to figure out how to pay it down. They can't take jobs they want. They can't get the credit they would like to start a business. So we're going to refinance it, we're going move people into income-contingent repayment plans, we're…” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6e0/hillary-clinton-51_business_young-people-can-t-do-much-with-student_2391482.jpg)
![“I very often used to get backaches due to the fact that I was wrong. Whenever you are wrong you have to fight or [take] flight. When [I] make the decision, the backache goes away.” quote by George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d1e/george-soros-1593_backache_i-very-often-used-to-get-backaches-due-t_38205.jpg)
![“We [at Soros Fund Management] use options and more exotic derivatives sparingly. We try to catch new trends early and in later stages we try to catch trend reversals. Therefore, we tend to stabilize rather than destabilize the market. We are not doing this as a public service. It is our style of…” quote by George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f33/george-soros-1593_customer_we-at-soros-fund-management-use-options_113322.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
