Beetle, it's not the euro's fault, at least speaking for Germany. The problem you're referring to dates back much further.
Every year since 1990 money worth about 4% of Germany's GDP is transferred from the west to the former socialist east germany. The idea behind the money transfer being that some kind of governmental aid was needed to help the east german industries in succesfully making the change from socialistic planned economy to capitalism.
It didn't work at all, unemployment in east germany is enormously high (in some regions at about 20%), most former industries are gone, young people are leaving the region by the hundred thousands... but thanks to the roughly 1500 billion (!) Euro transferred in the last 15 years east germany has the densest system of longrange bicycle tracks in europe or the world or whatever. The money has been wasted... east germany is nice by now, most of the negative visual influences of 40 years of socialism are gone, but that didn't create jobs.
Basically, for 15 years this country's economy hasn't grown, Germany is living off it's substance. 4% of the GDP lost every year is more than the annual growth of 1 to maybe 2% in good times (not right now).
That's the short version... I think I should add that I don't think the german reunion was wrong, not at all. But our politicians messed it up economically.
It's not the euro's fault, even though certain groups of people here love blaming it for our problems.
