it seems like you're mixing some things up, krieg.
(i try to not mix politics or ideology into my posting, since that would be dangerous grounds in a forum)
firstofall, we do not have "socialist" countries in euope since ~20 years. yes, we have social security systems.the reason why we have them is because we europeans believe in solidarity of the richer people with the poorer people, in order to make a better and more wealthy society as a whole. we believe in equal access to education and health services. calling these things "socialistic" does not represent their tradition nor their intention accurately. and no, they are not the cause of europe's struggles.
second, the various countries in europe that you mentioned are not facing the same challenges: since the european currency union (2001), greece and portugal based their "wealth increase" on borrowed money. now everybody can see that this "wealth" is not sustainable, but they didn't care. they have finally reached a point where they cannot borrow any more money. italy and spain, on the other hand, have obligations that are - when put in relation to the economical power - more or less equal to the usa. their basic problem is that the economy has some problems. france, and especially germany, are not "desperate" at all.
now, as for the ducati deal... audi really seems to having spent a fraction of their savings for a motorcycle company. i do not understand this decision, but whatever. it will surely not kill the company.
r