Ezra Klein is in country. He says the Germans "seem serenely confident that it will all work out, and this will end in a stronger, more united, Europe." How they view austerity:
The German embrace of austerity raises an obvious question: If Southern Europe is to cut and tax, how will they grow? The German answer, put simply, is, "like we did."
Ten years ago, the Germans are quick to note, unemployment in Germany was 10 percent and structural deficits were large. Germany was called "the sick man of Europe." They attribute their subsequent success to a series of painful reforms they made to their unemployment insurance system, their health-care sector, and other pieces of their social safety net. Many figure that if they could do it, so too can Southern Europe. In truth, it's probably not that easy — Southern Europe doesn't have the industrial strength that Germany does, and no longer even controls its own currency levels — but it makes sense to the man on the street.
The Dish 