一个社会市场经济，而不是一个毫无管制的市场资本主义；一个建立在庞大和革新性制造业基础上的出口型经济；一个面向世界经济的，由中小型（通常是家族式）企业组成的庞大网络；一种对环境负责任的态度，以及对英美式全球化和企业资本主义的怀疑态度。 而事实上默克尔拥有如此大感染力的关键就是因为德国有机会去展示“德国模式”的特殊力量，而且她也不断强调她在与银行的斗争中所采取的强硬路线。
A social market economy, rather than unbridled market capitalism; an export economy built on a large and technically innovative manufacturing base; a large network of small and medium sized enterprise, often family-owned, that is open to the global economy; a sense of environmental responsibility; and a suspicion of financially driven Anglo-Saxon style globalization and corporate capitalism.  Indeed the sense that Germany had the opportunity to show off the unique strengths of the “German model” was a key to Merkel’s appeal, and she repeatedly noted what a tough line she had taken against the position of banks.