On May 25, 2012, a massacre in Houla, Syria, caused outrage around the world.<br /><br />German diplomats are among those trying hard to end the conflict. But more than 10,000 people have died in the 15 months of fighting in Syria - and, so far, there has been little progress.<br /><br />Germany has tried to put pressure on Russia, a key ally of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president.<br /><br />"We tried to convince our friends and our partners in Russia," says Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign minister. "We think it is necessary to support the Kofi Annan plan."<br /><br />But closer to home, Germany is struggling with another pressing problem - the European economic crisis.<br /><br />In a few days, Greeks will vote in an election that could push their country out of the eurozone.<br /><br />Many of those voters blame Germany for making their problems worse. They say the strict austerity policies Germany favours may lead to the breakup of the eurozone.<br /><br />Can Europe survive? Or is its collapse just a matter of time?<br /><br />We put these questions to Germany’s most senior diplomat, Guido Westerwelle, on this episode of Talk to Al Jazeera.
