Berlin is expressing doubt about the European Union’s ability to withstand the rise of nationalist parties and the pressure from the Trump administration. This unprecedented skepticism in Germany has raised fears of lasting weakening, or even the gradual marginalization, of Europe as it exists today.
It only was a disappointment to the stupid and the ignorantly naive.
The FDP was just doing FDP things, the SPD was just doing SPD things, and the Greens were just doing Greens things while pretending to have a bad tummy ache over some of the harsh decisions.
Just look at German history of the past 40 years, specifically which party did what in that period. You’ll find that everyone ever in power during that time always and reliably has done neoliberal redistribution of wealth from the bottom to the top.
You’re right. It still feels more like a betrayal though when, say, a party which runs a campaign about peace and love turns out to be a psycho bloodsucking cheerleaders for genocide (eg the Greens).
The Greens first showed their true face when they entered a coalition with the SPD to form the Schröder government. This government was responsible for not only the harshest social cutbacks in German post WW2 history, but also for participating in that stupid military adventure in Afghanistan to replace the Taliban with the Taliban.