Germany’s victory in the World Cup is a symbol of the country’s emergence as a major world power, a European economic powerhouse, Europe’s leader and a nation very much at ease with itself after years of shyness and apprehension.
This is Germany’s fourth World Cup title – its first since unification – and it comes amid a renewed sense of patriotism and identity, coupled, however, with a great feeling of humility and modesty.
Germany was banned from the World Cup after the war but on its return in 1954 (as West Germany) it won the competition. It then went on to win two other World Cup finals, in 1974 and in 1990. On all three occasions celebrations were muted and signs of patriotism were low-key; Germany was still preoccupied by its past – which it has come to terms with extremely well – and was worried that public displays of patriotism would be misinterpreted as nationalism and harping back to the past.
It was only in 2006, when Germany hosted the World Cup, (they came a respectable third) that German flags were put on display and people were no longer shy to exhibit (again, in a humble manner) their patriotism.
This road to ‘normality’ has been a drawn out process – after their 1954 World Cup win one of their victory slogans was “We are someone again”, a reference to a new national awareness after the horrors of the Second World War. In 1990, Germany’s third World Cup victory helped the country gain confidence a few months after the Berlin Wall came down, a momentous development in German modern history – the artificial and unjust division of Germany was no more.
There has also been an element of soul searching for many Germans after this World Cup victory. Germany’s Der Spiegel asked on the cover of its magazine “We’re back, but as what?” The Washington Post meanwhile, claimed that German World Cup celebrations “seemed to mark a new leap forward here, moving Germany down a path toward a 21st-century relationship with patriotism and identity.”
Germans are meticulous in the way they operate (which partly explains their economic success) and their World Cup victory was the result of patiently building up a team and management over the years. Joachim Löw, the German coach, said the win came after “10 years’ hard work”, while team captain Philipp Lahm commented after the match: “The team remained calm and patient”.
The composition of the German national team is also food for thought and shows how the country has changed: the squad included players such as Turkish-German Mesut Ozil, Tunisian-German Sami Khedira, Polish-German Lukas Podolski and Ghanaian-German Jerome Boateng. These players are a sign of the country’s multiculturalism, without doubt something positive, and Germany has proven to be a tolerant and inclusive society.
Germany’s 1-0 victory against Argentina in the final – Mario Gotze who came on as a substitute scored the winning goal in extra-time (the 113th minute) – made them the first European national team to lift the World Cup in the Americas, and so history was made.
Germany’s World Cup victory comes at a time when Berlin’s status as Europe’s most influential and powerful country is beyond doubt. Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel (who has a very high domestic approval rating and who is only the third post-war Chancellor to secure three consecutive election wins) played a key role in resolving the eurozone crisis and mediating in the Ukraine-Russian dispute.
Germany’s World Cup victory comes at a time when Berlin’s status as Europe’s most influential and powerful country is beyond doubt
And in a sign of increased self-confidence Germany recently expelled Washington’s spy chief in Berlin in retaliation for the discovery of a German foreign intelligence agency employee working as a double agent for the US. Germany is also the world’s fourth largest economy, it has an excellent healthcare system, super high environmental standards, it is the biggest net contributor to the EU’s budget, the second biggest contributor to Nato, and no top EU appointment happens without Merkel’s approval – such as the recent nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker’s as the next European Commission president.
Germany has still been somewhat cautious in some aspects of its foreign policy, however, and not only did it refuse to join Western airstrikes during the Libyan revolution in 2011, it also abstained in the vote at the UN Security Council authorising a no-fly zone over Libya. Germany faced some international criticism over this stance; however its vehement opposition to the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, which proved to be an unmitigated disaster, was without doubt justified and proved Germany right.
We will have to see whether Germany’s increased global standing will now encourage it to engage in a more interventionist foreign policy.
On Tuesday Germany’s victorious World Cup players were given a heroes’ welcome in Berlin by half a million fans. The main celebrations were held at the Brandenburg Gate and the team arrived in an open-top bus adorned with the years they won the competition – 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014.
It was fitting end to the country’s World Cup adventure and a sign that Germany is without doubt a nation at ease with itself which can hold its head up high.
• The shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 carrying 298 people over rebel-held territory in Ukraine – a shocking and horrific incident – represents a serious and dangerous escalation of this conflict.
Ukraine has accused pro-Russian rebels – armed with Russian-supplied surface to air missiles – of shooting down the plane. It is about time Russia assumes its responsibilities, stops supporting the rebels and plays a constructive role in ending this war.
This appalling tragedy could be a well turn out to be a ‘game changer’ in this conflict which will change people’s perceptions about the war and in particular Russia’s role in this conflict.
Let us hope, therefore, that the international community will redouble its efforts at trying to bring peace to this troubled country.