Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has suddenly had an epiphany. While he may not have accomplished much during his leadership of Germany, he is evidently far better at criticism. He even chose the "hospitable" Chinese Global Times to speak some truths. Scholz described the West as "countries of lawyers" and China as a "country of engineers". This is because while an infrastructure project in Europe or the US can drag on for decades amidst studies, objections, appeals, and political disputes, in China, the same plan is transformed into railway lines, bridges, and entire cities within a timeframe that seems surreal by Western standards. The question Scholz poses is simple yet uncomfortable: how is it possible for others to build national networks in 20 years while we cannot complete a suburban line in the same period?
Paralysis...
As he noted, the West has invested so heavily in process, legal shielding, and consultation that it often becomes paralyzed before it even begins. Every project becomes a battlefield of conflicting interests, every decision can be blocked, and every step requires a new approval. The result is not merely delays; it is a loss of momentum, competitiveness, and ultimately credibility. Of course, this "culture of lawyers" did not arise by accident. It is the price of democracy, environmental protection, and civil rights. Unlike China, where the state can impose decisions without substantial resistance, consensus in the West is more difficult and slower. Even if it is too late, Scholz has finally seen the light regarding what European bureaucracy has wrought.
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