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German economy in structural crisis – Merz | German economy in structural crisis – Merz |
(30 minutes later) | |
Tackling the challenges the country is facing has proven harder than expected, the German chancellor has admitted | |
The German economy is experiencing a “structural crisis” rather than just temporary “weakness,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said, admitting that steering the country’s economy back on track has proven harder than he had anticipated. | The German economy is experiencing a “structural crisis” rather than just temporary “weakness,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said, admitting that steering the country’s economy back on track has proven harder than he had anticipated. |
Merz made the remarks on Saturday in a speech before members of his Christian Democratic Union party in the Lower Saxony city of Osnabrueck, the home state of major carmaker Volkswagen. | Merz made the remarks on Saturday in a speech before members of his Christian Democratic Union party in the Lower Saxony city of Osnabrueck, the home state of major carmaker Volkswagen. |
“I say this also self-critically – this task is bigger than one or the other may have imagined a year ago,” Merz stated. | “I say this also self-critically – this task is bigger than one or the other may have imagined a year ago,” Merz stated. |
We’re not just in a period of economic weakness, we are in a structural crisis of our economy. | We’re not just in a period of economic weakness, we are in a structural crisis of our economy. |
Large parts of the country’s economy “are no longer truly competitive,” the chancellor acknowledged. Merz mentioned the plummeting earnings by Volkswagen, which experienced a massive 36% after-tax slump in the second quarter of the year, calling it just “one of many messages” about the state of the country’s economy. | Large parts of the country’s economy “are no longer truly competitive,” the chancellor acknowledged. Merz mentioned the plummeting earnings by Volkswagen, which experienced a massive 36% after-tax slump in the second quarter of the year, calling it just “one of many messages” about the state of the country’s economy. |
“By this week at the latest, no one should be under any illusions about how deep and far-reaching the challenges that face us are,” Merz stated. | “By this week at the latest, no one should be under any illusions about how deep and far-reaching the challenges that face us are,” Merz stated. |
“The quality is still good and company leaders recognize these challenges. But the underlying conditions in Germany simply haven’t been good enough for the last decade,” he added. | “The quality is still good and company leaders recognize these challenges. But the underlying conditions in Germany simply haven’t been good enough for the last decade,” he added. |
Another German auto giant, BMW, has also reported a sharp decline in first-half profits, reporting a 29% drop from the same period last year. | Another German auto giant, BMW, has also reported a sharp decline in first-half profits, reporting a 29% drop from the same period last year. |
The downturn of the country’s automotive sector has been fueling fears about the health of the EU’s economic powerhouse. The country already endured a recession last year and is now expected to show zero growth this year, according to IMF projections. | The downturn of the country’s automotive sector has been fueling fears about the health of the EU’s economic powerhouse. The country already endured a recession last year and is now expected to show zero growth this year, according to IMF projections. |
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