Germany bas always been an interesting case study for scientists interested in comparing economic Systems. On account of unique institutional features, its system has been categorized as "third way", "non-liberal capitalism" and "regulated capitalism". There are two features which justify these epithets. The first is the role of the government. Economic growth on the Rhine has been connected with interventionism, whether it was focused on education in the nineteenth century, or the social order and the Globalsteuerung policy in the twentieth. However, this government activity has meant setting a framework for the free market and correcting its imperfections (inequalities, short term orientation, irregularities), rather than replacing it. The second feature is collectivism or, more accurately, the ability for social self-organization. Germans have possessed multilevel social bargaining structures ensuring the stability of the economy and harmony of interest groups, particularly in the labor market. In fact, for a long time the German system has had institutional arrangements aimed at organized, sustainable development. It was very successful in the 1950s and 1960s - a period called the "economic miracle" [Czech-Rogosz, 2005; Gedymin, 2002; Kozłowski 2004; Kowalik, 2000; Siebert, 2005, 43-61; Humpden-Turner and Trompenaars, 2003]. The time of this "miracle" has long passed. For around three decades Germany has been showing relatively poor economic performance, which culminated in the decade between 1995 and 2005 (see Fig. 1 and 2). In this period the growth in GDP averaged only 1.5%, which was one of the lowest levels among the OECD countries. An even more anxiety-provoking situation prevailed in the labor market. The unemployment rate rose with every downturn in the economy, with winter 2005 experiencing a record number of over 5.2 million unemployed. This crisis was followed by fiscal problems. For over 5 years Germany constantly broke the rules of the Eurozone stability pact, with its deficit exceeding the allowed mark of 3% of GDP. (fragment of text)