Of course, judging by the figures, Germany is the country with the lowest levels of anti-euro sentiment. However, a recent survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found that only 52 per cent of Germans think the EU brings them personal benefits, compared to 32 per cent who think being a member of the union is a disadvantage.

Germans also appear to be worried about immigration from the east, in particular from Romania and Bulgaria, which continue to export a surprising number of their citizens. (Bulgaria has lost no fewer than 582,000 since 1985.) That not only concern about immigration but also euroscepticism now have a home in Germany is a fresh worry for Angela Merkel.