Wolfgang Schaeuble: A convenient scapegoat

There was no need for Wolfgang Schaeuble to depart this futile world for us to grasp that he was despised by a section of the Greek population. Germany's former finance minister was held accountable for what we endured during the bailout period. He indeed represented the typical ethos of the "virtuous" northern states, incapable of tolerating the living standards of the "sinful" South, in line with their economic performance. Thus, when these righteous northerners found their first victim, they vented their punitive resentments. Unfortunately, Greece happened to be that victim.

All is well up to this point. Problems arise when we question what happened, and Greece fell into the hands of the "virtuous" states. What did we do wrong, and why did we seek their help?

We cannot turn a blind eye to the structural pathologies of our national economy and the...