A great power in trouble: What's wrong with Germany? | To The Point

What's happening to the world's fourth-largest economy? In contrast to other large industrial nations, and in comparison to Europe, Germany’s economy is weakening. Companies

are complaining about poor business conditions, such as high energy prices. There is already talk of creeping de-industrialization, and some economists and politicians believe that Germany is once again, “the sick man of Europe.” At the same time, right-wing populist attitudes are on the rise, and more people are critical of democracy. Are prosperity and democracy in danger? We are discussing: “A great power in trouble: What's wrong with Germany?”

Our guests:
Valerie Höhne (Tagesspiegel),
Arne Delfs (Bloomberg News)
Katja Hoyer (Kings College London)

Chapters:
00:0 Why we need to talk about Germany
03:13 Is the change of leadership in Germany to blame?
04:00 The struggles of the German economy
06:38 The challenges of Germany’s energy transition
08:42 A coalition government without a clear course?
10:31 German bureaucracy as a hurdle
12:20 Germany’s digitalization is lagging behind
13:59 The rise of right-wing populism
16:38 The situation in Eastern Germany
19:50 How racist is Germany?
22:48 A glimpse into Germany’s future

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[bjarnehansen]

Germany chose to close its nuclear power plants in the middle of Europe's energy crisis. That is stupidity at an insane level.

[fredericperrin]

It's a combination of factors, all of which are going against Germany at the moment: no more cheap Russian gas (self inflicted), closure of nuclear plants (self inflicted), excessively fast move towards renewables (self inflicted), challenges to the automotive industry and the transition to EV (slow response, lack of vision), reliance on mechanical engineering and lack of innovation in digital (cultural and institutional issues), poor demographics, uncontrolled immigration (not in the sense of actual numbers, but in the sense of inability to pick up productive immigrants), excessive regulation and bureaucracy. It's not looking good. The de-industrialization that has plagued the US for the last 40 years but is now over is starting in Germany (and most of Europe).

[markpalm]

I have moved to Germany some years ago and i have encountered things that i never thought could in Germany happen. Lost application documents in governmental offices, delays in train transport system, faults in my salary slip balance by company's financial department, no place for my kids in kindergartens, endless waiting lists to find a logo doctor though we pay our taxes and so on....I think Germany pushes to get more and more immigrants but at the moment lack the necessary infrastructure.

[shellylofgren]

Some economists have projected that both the U.S. and parts of Europe could slip into a recession for a portion of 2023. A global recession, defined as a contraction in annual global per capita income, is more rare because China and emerging markets often grow faster than more developed economies. Essentially the world economy is considered to be in recession if economic growth falls behind population growth.

[aarhusnord]

Germany is too ineffective, too controlled by fear, too little prepared to take risks, too bureaucratic, too un-digitalized (years ago, I were in a smaller town in Greenland, where broadband connections were better than in Berlin!), too afraid to invest, too afraid of change, too worn-down in its infrastructure (just look at the bridge over the Nord-Ostsee Kanal), too much living on its past. Just look at Germany still discussing if there should be Covid 19 regulations in place this autumn and winter. We are way past that in Denmark.

[lucasstuart]

The German business model is mostly based on manufacturing. In times of high energy costs, supply chain disruption, demand shock and an alarming immigration rate you have the perfect mix for a crisis

[HamedAbdollahpour]

I'm an expat, lived on different part of the world in last fifteen years. After five years in Germany I have to say bureaucracy here is killing everything! Every small move takes a decade, how can we move forward like that :(

[audleymclean]

Why doesn't anyone talk about the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, this is one of the main reasons, is there a reason why this awful blow to the German economy is being ignored?

[josepedrosantiagosilva]

In Europe, there's a growing sense of neglect towards the younger generation. They face lower salaries, longer work hours, and increased responsibilities while witnessing a surge in billionaires, particularly in countries like Germany.
The housing market adds to their woes, as property prices soar, making it difficult to afford homes, let alone start families. To compensate, cheap labor from abroad is often favored, leading to frustration among the youth, who feel betrayed.
People aren't inherently racist, but this frustration arises when governments prioritize external labor over addressing domestic issues. It's high time politicians acknowledge and tackle these pressing concerns rather than resorting to distractions. The younger generation deserves meaningful change.

[kevindaly]

When government stops acting according the will and interest of the people it is no longer democracy.

[weisong]

This is what happens when a group of politicians only care about the interests of the United States and ignore the interests of their own country.

[omnamahshivayaitaly]

I am German living in Italy since 35 years and I come back to visit my country every year. What I noticed since maybe 2010-2013 and especially the past years is a more and more weakening Germany : bad maintaining of infrastructure as streets, 'Autobahn', trains, I noticed a dirtier Germany in public places, I have the impression that the digitalization is behind other countries, even Northern Italy seems to function better. There is this sensation that the country lost connection to the future.... 😢

[vichitvideo]

Sometimes, the wrong team of leadership can easily cause troubles for the country.

[felipe-vibor]

How about nordstream pipelines? Didn't it affect Germany directly?

[peter-ryler]

I love the guests say relying on Russian gas was a big risk, while not dare to hint a word about the one who blew up nord stream.

[HrRezpatex]

I automatically translate "A great power in trouble" to "A great puppet in trouble"..

[psnaris]

You mean it is not blindingly obvious. NO MORE CHEAP RUSSIAN GAS!!!

[bumpy]

Had Germany done the complete opposite of each of their energy decisions in the last 20 years, they would be in a far better position today.

[pointgreece]

Germany has to buy expensive commodities from USA, Canada, Australia. It cannot purchase Russian gas, oil and other materials due to pressure from USA and China use this to strengthen its position as a major producer of goods. VW ID3 in China cost 16.000e and in Germany 40.000e.

[Scaleyback]

I'm British and feel privileged to have been able to live in Germany for 7 years and visit for holiday purposes many times since. I am hoping this is just a minor or a temporary blip. The whole of Europe needs Germany to be punching its weight - financially, politically and militarily.
When I was doing business in Germany (years ago now) German red tape was horrendous.
Please turn this round quickly. Mit Freundlichen Grossen.