As Wolfgang Sch?uble, German finance minister, flew into Athens yesterday for a morale-boosting visit, it becomes clearer than ever that Europe has a hegemon problem.

Under President Fran?ois Hollande, France has been all but missing in action where the EU is concerned. The UK has never counted for less in Europe thanks to the commitment by David Cameron, prime minister, to an eventual referendum on EU membership. Even in good times, Italy and Spain do not carry the same weight as their northern neighbours; right now they are crippled by the crisis.

That leaves Germany. Neither the Germans themselves nor anyone else seem very comfortable with this. Yet Berlin’s primacy is a reality that cannot be wished away. The challenge is to figure out how to make it beneficial for everyone.