Struggling with News Article

[Kengo]

Hello everyone,

I'm reading about the European economy and how Germany is to react to Greece's bankruptcy. Now I'm stuck on one phrase. Please have a look through the following writing.

“Europe’s future was a sore topic for Germans even before the crisis. Germans see their prosperity under threat on all sides as their own population shrinks and ages, and as Europe’s power in the world declines. On top of that looms the possible unraveling of a currency that they now regard, fiercely, as their own. More than anything, Germans are desperate to preserve what they have achieved, and they’re convinced their way is the right way to stave off disaster.”

I'm in trouble with the "unraveling". I only know the dictionary definition of this word but I assume it's something negative relating to the euro. Maybe like the united currency system might collapse...?

Any advice would be of great help.

[5jj]

I'm in trouble with the "unraveling". I only know the dictionary definition of this word but I assume it's something negative relating to the euro. Maybe like the united currency system might collapse...?

Yes. If the currency collapses, we might see it as falling apart, become separated into individual threads (the Franc, Mark, Lira, etc).

[Kengo]

Yes. If the currency collapses, we might see it as falling apart, become separated into individual threads (the Franc, Mark, Lira, etc).

Thank you fivejedjon!

This has been one of the hardest articles I've had to read and I was bewildered.
I see it clearly now having it unraveled.

Thanks again!

[Ouisch]

Thank you fivejedjon!

This has been one of the hardest articles I've had to read and I was bewildered.
I see it clearly now having it unraveled.

Thanks again!

To be honest, when it comes to news articles regarding the economy and worldwide money matters, even native English speakers have difficulty understanding what exactly is being said.

[SoothingDave]

You mean you didn't learn what "quantitative easing" was in grade school?

[5jj]

To be honest, when it comes to news articles regarding the economy and worldwide money matters, even native English speakers have difficulty understanding what exactly is being said.

Difficulty? That's a bit of an understatement as far as I am concerned.

I was able to respond to the OP only because the question did not involve quantitave easing or similar gobbledegook

[Kengo]

To be honest, when it comes to news articles regarding the economy and worldwide money matters, even native English speakers have difficulty understanding what exactly is being said.

Hi Ouisch,

That's a relief.
In my first language too, these things just pass through my ears and nothing remains in my head.

I'd never even heard of quantitative easing, nothing to say of the concept.
I'll make sure I bring it up here if I ever get stuck with that one.

[Rover_KE]

I'd never even heard of quantitative easing, nothing to say of the concept.
I'll make sure I bring it up here if I ever get stuck with that one.

It means printing more banknotes.

Rover

[Ouisch]

You mean you didn't learn what "quantitative easing" was in grade school?

I think I was absent that week. And I had a dentist appointment that day the teacher discussed Keynesian economics.