How the British intelligentsia fell out of love with Germany

An economic slowdown, the far right on the rise, even apocalyptic hailstorms – what on earth is happening in Germany? Is Europe’s industrial powerhouse on the slide? Well, yes and no. Germany is in recession, and Germany’santi-immigration party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), is growing stronger, but the bad news coming out of Germany indicates a more lasting sea change: liberal Britain has finally fallen out of love with the Bundesrepublik.

It’s not just British Teutonophiles who are troubled by the rise of AfD. This week Germany’s domestic spy chief, Thomas Haldenwang, warned about growing right-wing extremism within the party and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has echoed these concerns. ‘Ban the enemies of the constitution!’ declared Der Spiegel, Germany’s renowned news magazine. For the first time in a lifetime, Germany’s hard-won reputation for political moderation and economic savvy looks shaky.

Ever since the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and West and East Germany were reunited, progressive Britons have cultivated an improbable affection for Europe’s most powerful and populous nation.