As German industry declines, the Ruhr gives hope
The resilience of the old steelmaking heartland is a model for the future
Germany is wilting. Last year its economy shrank by 0.3%, the worst result in the G7 group of rich countries. Deutsche Bank, the country’s biggest, reckons industrial output has sunk by 9% since 2018 and will fall another 2.5% this year. The talk in boardrooms is of creeping de-industrialisation as high domestic costs—especially for energy—push firms to relocate.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Back from the slagheap”
Europe February 17th 2024
- The EU’s covid-19 recovery fund has worked, but not as intended
- After Russia’s invasion the people of Bessarabia switched sides
- As Donald Trump threatens NATO, the Baltic states stiffen their defences
- As German industry declines, the Ruhr gives hope
- Europe decides it doesn’t like lab-grown meat before it’s tried it
- How not to botch the upcoming EU leadership reshuffle
From the February 17th 2024 edition
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Emmanuel Macron shows off the gloriously restored Notre Dame
Five years after it was gutted by fire, the cathedral is more beautiful than ever
Ursula von der Leyen has a new doctrine for handling the hard right
The boss of the European Commission embarks on a second term
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare