The current euro crisis is shaped by urgency and actuality. Since it affects a lot of people and different countries, it is also denoted by transboundary effects. Considering these circumstances, the call for quick crisis solution occurs. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to investigate the leadership issue during the euro crisis. Based on theoretical principles of crisis leadership, we examine the role and behavior of Germany in the euro crisis. Due to the fact that Germany is currently in a significant position, we narrow down the crisis leadership aspect to this specific view. Providing an overall and thorough picture, we investigate Germany’s leadership in the euro crisis from different perspectives. In order to achieve this purpose, we determine this issue from a political, economical and societal perception, which seem to be the most influencing factors in the case of the euro crisis. By assembling the crucial findings of these separate categories, we gain a broader perspective and hence a generalized evaluation and understanding of the German leadership style.

This thesis contributes to the literature on status seeking and transboundary crises by studying the dynamics of a group of states’ collective status seeking during times of crisis. The implications of the covid-19 pandemic for the common status seeking of the Nordic countries are explored through a study of the collective Nordic identity. A narrative analysis of the views on Sweden in the two Nordic countries Norway and Denmark is carried out using news media articles during first three months of the pandemic. The results show a rift in the collective Nordic identity during the covid-19 pandemic. The main conclusion is that a transboundary crisis can undermine states’ collective status seeking if the cooperative status seeking processesare not backed up by collaboration in times of crisis.