My last word on Germany for now is to suggest you read the Economist article urging the miserable Germans to cheer up. Here's a flavour of what it says:
"Germany’s economy, for example, is powering ahead. Unemployment is at a record low, and exports are booming. Its infrastructure is among the best in the world. Inequality remains lower than in most other rich countries and the quality of life higher (the fourth best in the world, according to the UN’s Human Development Index). ... For its own sake and that of others, it is time for Germany to lift its gaze from its navel, grasp the bigger picture—and cheer up."
The article will also give you an alternative view of Mrs M's policies and achievements (but don't take the infrastructure point too seriously: remember Berlin's never-quite-yet-finished airport – and Stuttgart 21 which might yet rival it. Prost!
Footnote
The Times reports that an investigation by Der Spiegel found around 5,000 of Germany's 40,000 bridges are in poor condition. For example, a "bridge over the Rhine at Leverkusen has been closed to lorries since 2012 after cracks appeared in its concrete. Downriver, the Neuenkamp bridge near Duisburg, which carries 90,000 cars and 10,000 lorries a day, has also had to turn back the heaviest goods vehicles since its cables began to fray."
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