The reforms created about half a million low-wage jobs if most statistics are to be believed, but all in all there's not much they did to cause the economic upturn. It's mostly based on exports, anyway - rising productivity was the main factor.

The current discussions about some details of unemployment insurance are just political manoeuvring (fights for leadership in the SPD).

"If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles." Sun Tzu