Germany racked up one economic success after another for most of this century. But the loss of Russian natural gas due to the war in Ukraine has dealt a severe blow to its industry through higher energy costs.

For most of this century, Germany racked up one economic success after another, dominating global markets for high-end products like luxury cars and industrial machinery, selling so much to the rest of the world that half the economy ran on exports.

Jobs were plentiful, the government’s financial coffers grew as other European countries drowned in debt, and books were written about what other countries could learn from Germany.

No longer. Now, Germany is the world’s worst-performing major developed economy, with both the International Monetary Fund and European Union expecting it to shrink this year.

  • @tomi000@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6•1 year ago

    Noone said you cant have an ugly efficient car if you want. But theres absolutely no reason to shit on people for wanting their own possessions to be nice. Sure its better to not buy a car at all, but if you need one you should be allowed to get one that you like.