What’s Ailing the German Economy and How Can It Be Fixed?

At times when the European project ran into trouble — during the sovereign debt crisis of 2010-2012, or the pandemic a decade later — the region could usually rely on Germany’s deep pockets to help fix the problem.

Today, Europe’s biggest economy faces a confluence of challenges that threaten its own future. An energy crisis is ravaging its power-hungry industries; Chinese companies have acquired the knowhow to compete with its manufacturers; China’s consumers are turning away from German brands; and now a protectionist shift by the US under Donald Trump threatens Germany’s crucial exports.