The bank has developed a board game called Euro fit, which is designed to get businessmen into shape for European monetary union and promises to replace stress balls and miniature basketball sets as the executive toy of the future.
Four participants work their way around three boards in order to "put themselves in a position to construct a prognosis of what effects Emu will have on their businesses". Aiding them in their quest is a moderator, whose responsibilities include making sure that all the players know each other and are seated in the right position to read the board. There is even a diagram in the instruction booklet advising the moderator of the optimal seating plan.
The first board serves as an introduction to how Emu will work and, most important, to convince the participants "that Emu is not simply a plan which is about to begin but a project which started in 1990 and is now moving into the decisive phase". The second informs them of how monetary union will affect their businesses, while the third allows them to work out a business agenda. And all within the space of two hours.
To enable the players to get to grips with Emu, Deutsche has collated a selection of utterings, which include Bundesbank president Hans Tietmeyer's statement that a two-speed Europe would prevent the slowest ship in the convoy holding back the rest. Other gems come from figures such as chancellor Helmut Kohl, and former president of the European Commission, Jacques Delors.
The players have to decide whether the statements are in favour of Emu, against it, or somewhere in between.
The participants also have 10 "knowledge questions" to answer, such as: "What are the political advantages of Emu?", "What are the economic advantages of Emu?", and "What would the consequences be if Emu failed?" But they can't hang around thinking about it: "Regardless of whether they come up with a right answer, one contestant has to read out the answer on the card within about a minute."
Another section of the board shows a drawing of three crumbling pillars, meant to represent the three pillars necessary for a stable Euro: a stable monetary policy; solid fiscal and budgetary policies; and "an adequate - that is, not too big - circle of participating states".
The idea is for the players to create a stable euro by renovating the pillars with well-placed "stability cards" - cards with, on the one side, measures listed in the Maastricht treaty for avoiding instability; and a sketch of perfect brickwork on the other.
Unfortunately the game is only available in German at the moment, at the bargain price of over Dm200 ($115). But don't worry, an English version is on the way, although there are no plans to produce the game in Spanish or Italian. Wonder why not? Antony Currie