His Green allies in government will demand more consumer protection and environmental legislation at the European level though these days even the European Commission, weary of criticism, wants Europe to regulate less intrusively.

ECONOMIST: Germany and the European Union

Then, rather than sign up for intrusively regulated insurance schemes, firms will prefer to pay a fine and leave their employees to buy insurance from new state-run insurance exchanges that are to be set up under the bill's provisions.

ECONOMIST: Health care