Why Cameron shouldn’t gamble with Germany: Helmut Schmidt’s story

In his early years, Helmut Schmidt, German Chancellor during Britain’s 1974-5 renegotiation under Harold Wilson, was an unabashed admirer of Britain. In his portrait of the recently deceased German statesman, Mathias Häussler argues that Schmidt’s later disillusionment with Britain may hold some lessons for Cameron‘s renegotiation strategy today. He writes that Schmidt was embittered as a result of the British leadership’s attempt to ‘hijack’ the European Community by fighting domestic political battles on the backs of other member states, and suggests Cameron should avoid making this mistake.