Yep, German strong currency and fiscal conservatism policy has domestic roots and interests. On the other hand, what I failed to make clear in an earlier comment is that I saw you mixing up (West) German fiscal conservatism with neoliberal policies (which also preach that budget deficit is evil).

On the black funds from Total to the CDU, yeah, and we still don't know any details -- the dossiers from that period 'mysteriously' disappeared, and the attorneys decided that no one is to blame and there is no case... On the other hand, if my rusty memory of the case is right, even more of Total's payments found their way back into France; a real brotherly mess of corruption :-)

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}