Hat tip to the Australian Lowy Institute pointing at a speech by the Polish Foreign Minister yesterday, which has some stark passages and I have selected this section, which historically is poignant and telling:
I will probably be the first Polish foreign minister in history to say this, but here it is: I fear German power less than I am beginning to fear its inactivity. You have become Europe’s indispensable nation. You may not fail to lead: not dominate, but to lead in reform.

There is nothing inevitable about Europe’s decline. But we are standing on the edge of a precipice. This is the scariest moment of my ministerial life.
Link:http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b753cb42-1...#ixzz1f8jH7ngU