No, it isn’t

March 15, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Coalitions, Debt, Elections, Germans, Germany, Government Waste, Spending Leave a comment

Germany is not back. And it won’t be coming back until its politicians respect the will of the German electorate. This is not the government Germans voted for.

Germany is back, says Merz after historic spending deal – Germany’s conservative leader, Friedrich Merz, has clinched an enormous financial package to revamp defence and infrastructure, ahead of a crunch vote in parliament next Tuesday.

Merz, who aims to lead a government with the Social Democrats in the coming weeks, is in a rush to push through a big boost in spending on defence and creaking infrastructure…

“This is nothing less than a financial coup.”

PS: And who says they have the votes to push this through next Tuesday?

English of the day: Debt overhall

March 5, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking Tags: Budgets, Debt, Friedrich Merz, Germany, Government spending, Government Waste, Infrastructure, Military Leave a comment

That means to go bat shit crazy further into debt. Unnecessarily.

German taxpayers “contribute” a billion euros a year now. German politicians burn most of it. They have all the money they need. They just refuse to cut spending à la DOGE. This is a “conservative” planning to do this, mind you.

German parties agree on historic debt overhaul to revamp military and economy – The parties hoping to form Germany’s next government on Tuesday agreed to create a 500 billion euro infrastructure fund and overhaul borrowing rules in a tectonic spending shift to revamp the military and revive growth in Europe’s largest economy.

Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD), who are in negotiations to form a coalition after a national election last month, will put their proposals to the German parliament next week.

German of the day: Goldgrube

March 4, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness Tags: Arms, Defense, EU, Europe, Germany, Industry, Investments, Military, Stocks, Ukraine, Weapons Leave a comment

That means bonanza.

Time to invest in the German defense industry. But you knew that already.

Germany eyes swift moves on defence, investors sniff bonanza – The prospect of a military spending boom by Germany unprecedented since the Cold War sent Europe’s defence stocks soaring after Reuters reported the likely next government was mulling a fiscal sea change for Europe’s biggest economy.

Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, did not confirm that his conservatives and the Social Democrats were considering setting up special funds worth nearly a trillion euros to finance urgent defence and infrastructure spending.

German of the day: Ins Ungewisse schrumpfen

February 24, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helections, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Elections, German, Germany, Greens, Language Leave a comment

That means to “shrink into obscurity.” Like the German Greens just did.

They got their asses whooped, in other words. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

The Greens shrink into obscurity – The Greens finish in fourth place in the federal elections. It is still unclear whether there is an option for power – but the battle to interpret the result has already begun.

German of the day: Handelsüberschuss

February 8, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy Tags: Donald Trump, EU, German, Germany, Language, Tariffs, Trade, Trade Surplus, USA Leave a comment

That means trade surplus.

As Trump threatens EU with tariffs, Germany announces trade surplus worth $74.1 billion with U.S. – Germany logged a record trade surplus with the United States last year, data showed Friday, news that could stoke tensions with US President Donald Trump as he threatens the EU with tariffs.

The United States also returned as the top trading partner for Europe’s biggest economy last year, it showed, overtaking China which had been in the number one spot since 2016…

Germany accounts for a hefty chunk of the European Union’s large trade surplus with the United States, which has been a source of anger for Trump.

Germany’s Green economy rocks

January 30, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helections, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Economy, Elections, Energy, Germany, Greens, Growth, Industry, Robert Habeck Leave a comment

It pitches, reels and staggers too.

Talk about having a gross domestic product.

Germany slashes growth outlook in ‘serious’ diagnosis of Europe’s largest economy – The German government on Wednesday slashed its gross domestic product forecast to just 0.3% growth in 2025.

This is down from a previous forecast of 1.1% growth, but broadly in line with estimates from bodies like the International Monetary Fund.

“The diagnosis is serious,” Robert Habeck, Germany’s Economy and Climate Minister, said during a press conference.

Mississippi burning…

January 6, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Economy, GDP, Germany, Industry, Mississippi, USA Leave a comment

Just burning to surpass Germany’s GDP per capita.

Poorest US state rivals Germany: GDP per capita in US and Europe – Mississippi, the poorest state in the United States, is close to surpassing Europe’s largest economy Germany’s GDP per capita. Euronews Business compares US states with European countries.

“What on earth is happening with European leadership?”

December 20, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Elections, EU, Europe, France, Germany, Leadership, Socialism Leave a comment

What a silly question.

“European leadership?” There is no such thing. It’s just that now and then little reminders like this pop up in the news. Europe doesn’t lead. Europe doesn’t produce. It redistributes. It redistributes until there is nothing less to distribute.

First France, Now Germany: What Is Going On in Europe?

Germany’s government collapse and imminent snap elections mark the latest crisis amid an ‘uneven’ state of European leadership, an expert says.

We must destroy the economy in order to save the economy

December 10, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Debt, Germany, Government spending, Unions Leave a comment

It’s the economic science, stupid.

German union boss urges Berlin to scrap borrowing cap to safeguard economy – IG Metall chair Christiane Benner addresses thousands of VW workers striking over planned closure of several plants.

The head of Germany’s most powerful trade union has called on Berlin to drop its cap on new borrowing to safeguard the future of Europe’s largest economy.

IG Metall chair Christiane Benner said the country should follow the example of the US and China, which are heavily supporting their domestic industries, meaning the borrowing limit had to “stop — immediately, not after the elections”.

Unexpected?

December 6, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Economy, Energy, Germany, Greens, Industry, Renewable Leave a comment

Not if you live in Germany.

It’s the cost of enertgy, stupid.

German industrial output unexpectedly falls in October – German industrial production unexpectedly fell in October, owing mainly to declines in energy production and in the automotive industry, the federal statistics office said on Friday.

Production was down by 1.0% in October from the previous month, the office said.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Category Archives: Heconomy