by Timothy Garton Ash
The Guardian (30 September 2009)
“Once upon a time, and a very bad time it was, the world trembled when Germany spoke. Now it hardly notices. If, for instance, I had relied solely on American television and newspapers over the last few weeks, I might not even have known that Europe’s most important country was having an election. As for Gordon Brown at his party conference, offering a glossy cruise prospectus for his sinking ship – forget it.”
































