德國 歐洲地界默認的領袖

Germans think any plan that is put on paper should be executed — which is why the country’s approach to government strategy has been a strong preference for not writing things down at all. So a report published yesterday in which the German foreign ministry reviews its own guiding principles represents a break with usual practice. It is as though, while hurtling towards a tornado, the pilot and crew of an airliner decided to rewrite their operating manual, publish it and invite comments from peers.

德國人認為，只要是寫在紙上的計劃就應該執行。這就是該國一直強烈傾向於根本不把政府戰略方針寫下來的原因。因此，德國最近發表的一份報告可以説是一反常態。在報告中，德國外交部對其外交政策指導原則進行了評估。這就好像在飛機衝向龍捲風時，飛行員和機組人員決定修改操作手冊並將其公佈出來，同時邀請同業置評。

Germany has become the pivotal power of Europe, with Berlin as the EU’s crisis management centre. It was not planned this way. When Chancellor Angela Merkel’s grand coalition took office in December 2013, Europe’s sovereign debt crisis was in abeyance and Ukraine was an obscure, faraway land.

德國已成為歐洲的中堅力量，柏林是歐盟(EU)危機管理中心。但這並非計劃之中的事情。在德國總理安格拉•默克爾(Angela Merkel)領導的大聯合政府於2013年12月上台時，歐洲主權債務危機暫時告一段落，而烏克蘭還是一個不起眼的遙遠國度。

These days Berlin is often harangued for not doing enough to counter the problems of the day: the eurozone’s stagnant economy; Britain’s drift away from continental europe; the adventures of President Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

如今，德國經常被指責沒有采取有力措施解決當下的問題：歐元區經濟陷入停滯；英國與歐洲大陸漸行漸遠；弗拉基米爾•普京(Vladimir Putin)領導的俄羅斯展開冒險行動。

The recent turbulence had barely begun when Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the foreign minister, set in motion a year-long process designed to be a model of transparency, deference to outside opinion and democratic inclusiveness. It involved town hall meetings across the country and an internal review. Officials also commissioned expert views (I was among those asked to contribute).

當德國外交部長弗蘭克-沃爾特•施泰因邁爾(Frank-Walter Steinmeier)啟動為期一年的評估程序，力求在透明度、尊重外界意見以及民主包容方面樹立一個典範時，近期的動盪幾乎還沒有開始。這項行動包括全國各地的市政廳會議和內部評估。政府官員們還委託專家發表意見（我是受邀發表意見的人士之一）。