ABSTRACT
This chapter presents Germany, the largest (population and economy-wise) member state of the European Union (EU), and a net contributor to the EU budget. The chapter starts with a general introduction to Germany and the country’s path to EU membership. It further gives a compact overview of Germany’s political system and key figures on its population and economy. The chapter continues with key highlights of political and public debates in Germany about European integration. The substantive third section of the chapter outlines the common patterns that emerged in the focus group discussions in Germany, particularly across the discussed scenarios presented to the participants and also between and within the three sociodemographic groups. The findings show that, overall, German participants had a positive attitude towards European integration. They also recognised the advantage of being a part of the EU and, therefore, the common market. Participants underlined Germany’s capacity and willingness to help other member states in need. However, in the perceptions of German participants, solidarity was linked to the question of who is responsible for the crisis or the need for solidary support.
