NEW YORK | By Ana Fuentes | The debate about the minimum wage is making big headlines both in the U.S. and in Europe, although for very different reasons. In Washington, the main issue is whether to raise it, since at $7.25 per hour the richest country in the world pays less per hour to many other developed countries.In Europe, Germany has joined the minimum wage club as one of the highlights of the coalition agreement, and France is increasing it by 1.1 per cent. In Spain the minimum wage was frozen two years ago due to austerity measures, and today minimum wage workers are struggling to make ends meet. Still, they can still enjoy free health insurance, education or a paid vacation, something that their American counterparts cannot even dream of.