Germany Set to Streamline Government

When a nation’s government implements changes to rid itself of crippling gridlock, congratulations would seem in order. But a deeper look at which nation we’re talking about, given the lessons of history, may make the fact that checks and balances are being voted away and power centralized at the very top more a cause for concern.

On February 16, German legislators agreed to reform the system of checks and balances in Germany—meaning less gridlock and a quicker-acting government.

Right now, two thirds of all bills must be approved by both a lower and upper house of parliament. “The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat,” reports Deutsche Welle, “frequently adopted an obstructive role, which it had the power to do. Under the new reforms, more than 60 percent of new legislation will be eligible to be passed without endorsement from the upper house, greatly speeding up Germany’s law-making procedures” (February 17; emphasis ours).

The 16 federal states will give up certain voting rights in the Bundesrat in exchange for greater responsibility in areas like environment and education.

This agreement, “the biggest constitutional change since 1949,” is “seen as something of a coup for Angela Merkel, who has given the federalism reform top priority on her grand coalition agenda” (ibid.).

Before Merkel officially was named Germany’s new chancellor, theTrumpet.com highlighted this part of her platform. With her grand coalition, we said she just might have the votes to pull this off.

Quoting a Stratfor analysis, we noted that the balance of power these politicians would be rewriting didn’t originate with the Germans. The Allies imposed such measures upon them after Germany’s defeat in World War ii. The thorny system of checks and balances that these laws inserted into Germany’s government structure has effectively hamstrung that nation from attaining anything close to its former position of power. The Allies did this deliberately—“as a means of hobbling the reemergence of a dynamic, proactive German power” (Stratfor, Nov. 10, 2005).

Stratfor noted, “For better or worse, some of those checks are about to be voted away. And although the Bundeswehr was not looking for a flat place to march across the last time we checked, Germany’s neighbors have got to be developing a bit of a nervous twitch as their long-occupied-and-divided neighbor begins thinking for itself again” (ibid.).

Bible prophecy points to a time soon approaching when Germany will, in fact, think for itself again—when it assuredly will not be hindered by Western intentions or gridlock in government. It points to a time when a strongman will once again take the helm of the government.

One man we have been watching as a candidate for this job is Bavarian premier and vocal conservative Edmund Stoiber, quoted by the same Deutsche Welle report as loving the constitutional overhaul. “He said he was ‘very satisfied’ with the outcome, which he said means Germany will be able to be quicker and more flexible in its decision making.”

In this increasingly volatile world, when a German leader needs to take charge and thrust Germany’s will on Europe and the rest of civilization, he will have little standing in his way.

For more on Germany’s place in end-time events, please read our booklet Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.