GERMAN CORPORATISM IN ALSACE LORRAINE
Dateline: 22nd June 2003
Translated and commentated on by Rodney Atkinson
Introduction: No area of Europe better encapsulates the 20th century
battles for German imperial power than Alsace Lorraine, or as the Germans
call it, Elsass Lothringen. It was captured from the French in the German
victory of 1870 and then ceded to the French after German defeat in
the Great War. It was invaded by Hitler and then reverted to the French
in 1945. It has always been a centre of Franco-German steel and coal
- it borders the German historic coal region, and German Federal State
called the Saarland. It was the core of the 1921 and 1951 creations
of "Coal and Steel Communities" through which Germany sought
(after defeat in both wars) to both re-acquire the territory and establish
coal and steel power which would be the basis of the new Europe (see
in particular Europe's Full Circle page 9 and 10).
In this piece we see very clearly the nature of German (and continental
European) CORPORATISM - that is an intimate involvement as investor
and political player by central and local government in business and
business strategy in which the political end is at least as important
as the economic outcome. This was always alien to the enterprise capitalist
ethic which prevailed in Britain and the British Commonwealth and -
at one time - in the USA. However as we know from their activities during
the second world war and the cold war, that the very large American
industrial corporations (in particular Ford, General Motors, Standard
Oil and others) have taken a similar stance - which is why (genuine)
capitalist wealth creation is under such threat and the democratic credibility
of the USA has been so gravely undermined in recent decades.
In the European Union German and French industry is put ruthlessly
and blatantly at the service of those States in the expansion of its
New European Empire.
The largest financial institute of the German Saarland has declared
the French border region of Alsace Lorraine as an area for business
expansion "as part of a comprehensive Re-organisation". An
announcement from the Saar Landesbank in Saarbrucken (capital of the
Saarland) "integrated France as a new area for business focus"
The Saar Landesbank (The Saar Provincial Bank) is State owned Bank
which is majority controlled by the "Free State" of Bayern
(the German State of Bavaria) and the Saarland state itself. The effective
control is exercised by politicians. Part of their cross border work
of political influence is exercised thrlugh the provincial banks. The
Saar Provincial Bank now wants to extend these activities with the aim
of drawing more than 10% of their profits from the French border region.
GROWTH "VERY STRONG"
As Max Haring, the Chairman of the Saar provincial bank openly admits
the Alsace Lorraine area offers particular opportunities for expansion.
"Elsass and Lorraine are far away from Paris Head Offices"
and in addition businesses there offer much better economic prospects
than ther are in Germany. Since the French share of Saar LB's business
is growing very strongly the bank intends to establish a branch in Metz.
"WEALTH TRANSFER
Metz, the largest town in Lorraine, has long been at the centre of
German banking and business interest. The Metz idnustrial region (Coal
and Steel) was Germanised under Wilhelm II and subjected to control
from Berlin. During the Nazi period banks like the Dresdner Bank were
nased in Metz and were responsible for the transfer of (local industrial)
wealth to Germany. All attempts in the post war period to cut the financial
and industrial connections with Germany failed on the premises of American
policy (ie their misguided support for European integration).
…TO EUROPE"
The extent of German influence on the economic activity in neighbouring
states can be seen if we look at the Bavarian Provincial Bank, the majority
owner (75.1%) of the Saar Provincial Bank. The "House bank of the
State of Bavaria", as its own advertising material claims, operates
not only in France but also has shareholdings in the Bank for Work and
Economy (Vienna) in the South Tirol Savings Bank (Italy) and in the
Luxembourg Provincial Bank as well as the Hungarian Foreign Trade Bank
(Budapest).
Sources
Wachstum in Elsaß-Lothringen; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 14.06.2003
Eine besondere Verbundenheit; www.saarlb.de
