As it is, not all reunited Germany's neighbours are happy about the government's shift next year from cosy little Bonn to the capital of Hitler's Reich.

ECONOMIST: Germany��s past

He never returned to motor racing and in 1955 he suddenly, and surprisingly, moved to East Germany, announcing that he could not stand Konrad Adenaur's government.

ECONOMIST: Manfred von Brauchitsch

On Tuesday, spokesman Thomas Steg defended the government's reaction, saying Germany had "not been silent", and that early details about the case had not been sufficiently clear for a "spontaneous reaction".

BBC: Germany 'not silent' on stabbing

The BBC's Ray Furlong in Berlin says there is not much optimism in Germany that this coalition government will be able to address the key problem of mass unemployment.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Merkel defends German reform plan

As for America, Mr Verheugen's tone has become sharply critical the more strikingly so, given that he is a Social Democrat who has long kept close links with friends in Washington and who reassured Bill Clinton's people last year that a red-Green government in Germany would not change the direction of foreign policy.

ECONOMIST: G��nter Verheugen, ever up-and-coming