The European Union and economic decline: why we need another Ludwig Erhard

In the context of the election of a woman Chancellor of Germany, it is often suggested that Angela Merkel could prove to be 'Germany's Thatcher'. But the example of the sort of leadership that is required in Germany comes not from the UK but from Germany itself. Germany needs another Ludwig Erhard. His message that free and open markets allow outsiders to come into the market economy and prosper, and his claim that markets did not need to be made 'social' because they are inherently 'social', should be understood and applied by politicians throughout the EU – including in the UK.

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