Smart dictator isn't typically a sustainable strategy, there are democracies that do much better, the most typical example being Switzerland. My impression is

Smart dictator isn't typically a sustainable strategy, there are democracies that do much better, the most typical example being Switzerland. My impression is that this is a typical German reply to criticism, yes there are worse cases, but it's not helpful to find a worse comparison if you want to grow. From my outsider view and having lived in a bunch of places, I don't have the impression that the German government is doing a good service to their citizens (and definitely not to expats in high earning jobs). The policy around nuclear power and coal is making Europe as a whole less stable and prosperous (again, my view). Anyhow, not going to argue with a German, best decision I've made was to leave, worst was to move there in the first place.