With well over 5 million people on the country's unemployment rolls, one can hardly blame Germany for being preoccupied by its economic woes. And nowhere is the preoccupation more noticible than in the higher echelons of government.

On Thursday, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's government is meeting with the opposition in a so-called "job summit" to address the problem. The meeting is being billed as a sort of temporary peace conference, in which both sides -- each gearing up for elections next year -- will put down their daggers and work together to solve the nagging problem of 5.2 million Germans needing jobs. Both parties have said they hope to reduce taxes for small and medium-sized companies. There has also been talk of making it easier to lay off workers (thereby making it more attractive for companies to hire them in the first place), reducing unemployment compensation and pushing through a comprehensive tax reform. On Tuesday, commentators from Germany's major dailies analyze the possible outcomes of the job summit.

In its main story, the left-leaning Die Tageszeitung offers a pithy one-liner, summarizing the nation's hopes for the meeting. "What will come of the government and opposition's 'job summit' in the Chancellery?: 77 percent of Germans believe it will change nothing." The right-leaning Die Welt concurs, saying in its lead editorial, "Even without knowing what will come (of the summit), most Germans already have a bad feeling. Is anyone counting all of the points and programs that were supposed to bring a remedy in past years? Still, almost nothing has changed. Why? Not once has the state considered giving up its claim to powerful government." Indeed, the paper sees the generous German social state as to blame for many of the nation's woes. "For years the state has grown, taking in more and more taxes and continuously redistributing the money with the goal of creating a social balance no one really can define," it says. "What Germany needs is the opposite of all this -- less taxes and fewer demands by citizens." In exchange, the paper says, the nation would get more freedom.

The business daily Handelsblatt takes a broader look at the problem by focusing on German productivity and exports, but emerges just as pessimistic. "Last week it was the Americans who proclaimed that Germany was rapidly losing significance as a production center due to the influence of the cheap labor lands of eastern Europe. Now, it is the German industry bosses themselves who are confirming the message." The paper then cites a new study showing that in 2005 Germans invested more than any previous year in non-German enterprises. In other words, even Germans are taking advantage of the low costs of production in neighboring lands. "How," asks the paper, "will things look in 2006?" There is no lack of ideas or recipes for change, the paper laments, what is missing is "the will to implement them. Where are the go-getters in the German government?"

The Financial Times Deutschland sees the German economy as so problematic that it says "these days, one can only be happy that there is still a (European Union) stability pact." The pact forbids EU nations to let their deficits exceed 3 percent of their gross national product. Otherwise, it implies, Germany's panicked leaders might further increase the deficit in a bid to solve the nation's woes. Thursday's meeting is being hailed as a job summit, the paper says, "but in truth, the lack of jobs is just the impetus. If anything at all comes out of this meeting, then it will simply be a tax windfall for businesses -- which will have no effect on the job market." In truth, says the paper, the leaders have it all wrong. The reason domestic investment is so poor has little to do with high taxes on profits. "Rather, it remains low because Germany is no longer a growing market and as things now look, won't be one any time soon."

The tabloid Bild -- which has been on the warpath on German joblessness -- today announces the arrival of the one man it thinks can pull Germany out of its doldrums: German President Horst Koehler. Under the headline "Super Horst Will Save Germany," the paper shows the gray-haired Koehler, known for his business acumen and for his outspoken nature, ripping off his suit and tie to reveal a Superman costume underneath. Politicians from various parties are calling on Koehler to join the summit, insisting that he could serve as an effective moderator. Bild insists that Koehler is the solution because "this president has a reputation for openly addressing uncomfortable truths. And he has proven on several occasions that he feels more committed to the country than to any party or program.... Mr. President, remind the politicians that words are worth silver but that actions are worth gold!"