Germany struggles to live up to its own balanced-budget commitments

The German government has boasted about its firm commitment and ability to reduce its sovereign debt and persuaded 25 EU member states to implement a ‘debt-brake’ to control their budgets. But is Germany living up to its own spending rules as it asks others to follow a path of austerity? In the first of a four-part series, GIS expert Prof Dr Michael Wohlgemuth, analyses the deficit-prone attitudes of some German states.

GERMANY stands out as one of the few countries which has mastered the recent economic crisis remarkably well compared with other EU and Euro members.

It has seen a recovery, which some regard as an amazing second economic miracle, af...