Heinrich Brüning and a lesson for all the eager centrists | Letter
(The Guardian France)

The German chancellor from 1930 to 1932 should be a warning to all who believe that centrist remedies are the answer in polarised times, writes Emma JonesLarry Elliott compares Macron to Angela Merkel´s predecessor, Schröder (as well as Blair, Clinton and De Gaulle), in his thoughtful piece on the French troubles (Macron´s vision belongs to the past. A backlash was inevitable, 6 December).A greater spectre must be another of Mrs Merkel´s predecessors, Heinrich Brüning (dubbed the `Hunger Chancellor`), a technocrat who refused to heed the cries from the street until it was much too late. Brüning´s scorched-earth economics, use of emergency powers, and hostility to the unions contributed to the colossal tragedy that engulfed his country and the world in 1933. Continue reading...