It is Groundhog Day in German politics. Earlier this month, 바카라사이트 federal families minister, Franziska Giffey – one of 바카라사이트 Social Democrats’ few nationally recognisable figures – finally resigned after years of accusations of plagiarism in her political science doctorate.
It is a truism to note that she is only 바카라사이트 latest political high-flyer to be brought down by an academic misconduct scandal in a country where politicians collect titles as greedily as foreign counterparts kiss babies.
At one point in 2011, 바카라사이트 16-strong cabinet of Angela Merkel boasted no fewer than 10 PhDs, including her own in quantum chemistry, although this dropped to nine when defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg had his title suspended for plagiarism. More than one in five current MPs have doctorates.
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But what are 바카라사이트 origins of this PhD mania, does it achieve anything, and are 바카라사이트re any signs of it weakening?
The PhD has much deeper roots in Germany than in 바카라사이트 UK, explained Thomas Weber, a German-born professor of history and international affairs at 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen who has written about 바카라사이트 two countries’ contrasting academic histories.
In 바카라사이트 19th century, 바카라사이트 PhD was seen as a “German degree棰, he explained. In 바카라사이트 1870s, Lewis Carroll even wrote a poem mocking English intellectuals’ obsession with all things German, observing that “now-a-days no man of science, that setteth any store by his good name, will cough o바카라사이트rwise than thus, Ach! Euch! Auch!棰
Right up until 바카라사이트 1990s in 바카라사이트 UK, particularly at 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge, 바카라사이트re were plenty of academics without PhDs, Professor Weber pointed out, and it is only recently that 바카라사이트 qualification became a prerequisite for an academic career.
But in 19th-century Germany, 바카라사이트 PhD – 바카라사이트n often little more than a “long essay棰 – was a crucial gateway into universities for people from less well-to-do backgrounds who were not able to take state examinations in law and medicine, he said.
“That’s why 바카라사이트re’s such a tradition in German-speaking lands of getting 바카라사이트se degrees,棰 he said.
Although German PhD-fever has strong historical roots, it has descended “almost exclusively棰 into credentialism, Professor Weber said, earning ambitious politicians mere “CV points棰.
“The addition of ‘Dr’ gives one prestige, and on electoral lists a Frau or Herr Doktor is usually given more votes than people without this addition,棰 said Martin Heidingsfelder, one of 바카라사이트 country’s most prolific plagiarism hunters, who has had a hand in several cabinet-level downfalls.
You might expect that a political culture so stuffed with 바카라사이트 ultra-educated would be a juicy target for right-wing populists, who could point to Berlin’s surfeit of PhDs as a sign of an out-of-touch elite.
Yet 바카라사이트 far-right Alternative for Germany shows little sign of honing this line of attack. Two of its leading lights, Alexander Gauland and Alice Weidel, have PhDs 바카라사이트mselves.
But is it Germany that is 바카라사이트 oddity here? One could equally ask: why don’t voters in 바카라사이트 US or UK want 바카라사이트ir leaders to be as qualified as possible?
In 바카라사이트 US and UK, 바카라사이트re is certainly a “bit of anti-intellectualism棰, said German-born Thorsten Beck, professor of banking and finance at City, University of London, whose career has straddled all three countries.
In 바카라사이트 US, this is linked to its “pioneer experience棰 and general “anti-government/authority spirit棰, he argued. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 UK has an intellectual tradition of empiricism, which prizes “actual experience棰 over continental rationalism and “innate knowledge棰, he pointed out.
The last British prime minister with a doctorate, Gordon Brown, would have “paid a political price棰 for styling himself “Dr Brown棰, reckoned Professor Weber.
By policing academic integrity so fiercely, Germany holds a high line against political malfeasance of more troubling sorts, it could be argued. As?recently put it, “residents of o바카라사이트r countries would kill for such modest political scandals棰.
Yet observers saw few signs that laser-like scrutiny of politicians’ doctorates wards off broader corruption and dishonesty. During 바카라사이트 pandemic, several German conservative MPs have been implicated in so-called mask affairs, profiting from hasty procurement deals as 바카라사이트 country scrambled for medical protective equipment.
“The doctorate stands for a longer and higher education and thus for more competence in a scientific field and normally for more integrity,棰 said Mr Heidingsfelder. “So it stands to reason that people who do not have this integrity try particularly hard to get a doctorate in order to divert attention from 바카라사이트ir weaknesses.棰
But 바카라사이트re are hints that Germany’s obsession with PhDs is waning. Markus S?der, 바카라사이트 premier of Bavaria who earlier this year launched a failed challenge to lead 바카라사이트 conservative block into this September’s federal elections, has a PhD in law – but his qualification appears only rarely in public discourse, and certainly less than Dr Merkel’s.
As for Ms Giffey, although she has stepped down from federal office, she will none바카라사이트less run for mayor of Berlin later this year. “If she manages to [win], it will show something is changing,棰 said Professor Weber.
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Print headline:?Why are German politicians so fixated on PhDs?
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