Well, all that thanks to Schröder who is patriotic enough to go against the right wing mainstream, even within his own party.
I would also like to add that the countries and regions I have mentioned, most if not all of them were willing to sell their resources for an alternative currency including the Euro. Now we are forced by the US to continue using the US$ instead of having the same ability as the US to print money and get stuffs cheaply. But the Euro in so far would have been more attractive because we, particularly Germany, still has a massive physical production of attractive goods for the Euro. An endless cycle of oil for Euro, Euro for our products that backs our currency ...
The EU politicians have shot in their feet (in fact, in our feet) and still trying to keep up appearances.
Are our politicians all being blackmailed with their little skeletons in the closet or are they just criminal (I wouldn't wonder)? The NSA certainly has for all relevant politicians a personal file. But looking at their past records, e.g. what they did in Kosovo, I would think its both, they are criminal and therefore open to blackmail.
I ask you: cui bono?