Are criminal gangs behind it?

July 5, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Crime, Europe, Food, Germany, Government spending, Inflation, Shoplifting Leave a comment

No. Well, yes. The criminal gangs known as “politicians.”

The old and the poor are doing the shoplifting because they can’t afford the food.

Shoplifting hits record high in Germany: Are criminal gangs behind it?

Shoplifting cost the German retail sector nearly €3 billion in 2024, a new record that was partially driven by organised crime. The federal government is also missing out on millions of euros in tax revenue.

German retailers noticed a gaping hole of missing merchandise worth €4.95bn when they completed their inventories in 2024. That’s according to a new publication by the country’s EHI Retail Institute, based on a survey they carry out each year.

The highest taxation in Europe…

June 28, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Energy, Germans, Germany, Inflation, Salaries, Taxation, Wages Leave a comment

The highest healthcare and retirement costs, the highest energy costs, the highest regulation costs, then there’s the inflation, now the debt…

No, it’s a real mystery why Germans can’t afford to live on their wages anymore.

Why more Germans can’t afford life on their wages – German politicians are fond of saying, “Work must be worth it.” But ever more full-time workers need state benefits, and the new minimum wage hike is seen as disappointing.

Worry about the cost of living?

October 12, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Business, Cost of Living, Costs, Fees, German, Germans, Germany, Inflation, Language, Regulations, Taxation, Taxes Leave a comment

Why should Germans worry about that?

Vater Staat (Father State) has everything under control. Wie immer (as usual).

Germans fear rising cost of living – Inflation, migration, expensive housing — these are the things that most people in Germany are worried about, according to the latest study “Germans’ Fears 2024.”

Economy shrinks, inflation expands…

July 31, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Economy, Germany, Growth, Inflation, Recession Leave a comment

Sounds just like back home in US-Amerika. What’s not to like?

German economy unexpectedly shrinks, inflation ticks higher – The German economy unexpectedly contracted in the second quarter after skirting a recession at the beginning of the year and July’s inflation rose, showing the continuing struggles of the euro zone’s biggest economy.

Germany’s gross domestic product contracted by 0.1% in the second quarter compared with the previous three-month period, preliminary data from the statistics office showed on Tuesday.

Worthless currency?

January 11, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy Tags: Currencies, Dollars, Euros, Germany, Inflation, Marks Leave a comment

You mean like the euro?

Or are you talking about the dollar?

Why are Germans hoarding billions of useless deutsche marks?

As everything seems to be getting more expensive through inflation, many Germans have a secret stash of cash at home. They’re holding on to their long-expired currency instead of exchanging it. What are they waiting for? …

Though these marks can no longer be used, they can be traded for euros.

German Politicians Bewildered

October 3, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: AfD, Energy, German, Germans, Germany, Greens, Inflation, Migration, Political Parties, Politicians, Renewables, Ukraine Leave a comment

Like, what are we supposed to do? Take the concerns of our fellow citizens seriously (see Migrant Madness, unaffordable energy, the housing crisis, inflation, Ukraine, etc.)?

That’s out of the question.

Germany bewildered about how to halt the rise of the AfD – The far right’s rise is sending shock waves through the country’s political landscape.

In Germany, news regarding the seemingly unstoppable rise of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) appears on an almost weekly basis. But nowadays this isn’t just true of the notoriously AfD-friendly states in east Germany, it’s also spreading further west.

In Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg, the AfD is currently running well above 30 percent. The party is gaining ground in the former West German states of Hesse and Bavaria as well, where it is expected to land at around 15 percent in this weekend’s elections.

Inflation hasn’t dropped in my neighborhood…

August 8, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Hurt Feelings Tags: Europe, Germany, Inflation Leave a comment

And if has dropped elsewhere in Germany it’s because Germans have stopped buying things they otherwise would have bought.

German inflation eases to 6.5% in July – German inflation eased in July, the federal statistics office said on Tuesday, confirming preliminary data.

German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, increased by 6.5% on the year in July.

This follows a 6.8% increase in June.

Slowcession?

August 6, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness Tags: Economy, EU, Germany, Inflation, Recession Leave a comment

Is that like shrinkflation?

Because Germany is definitely suffering from that.

Is Germany’s great economy sinking into ‘slowcession’? Key data this week will offer a hint as to whether the eurozone’s powerhouse can shake off recent stagnation.

Engine of the eurozone, industrial powerhouse, export world champion – just some of the ways Germany’s economy has been described over the years.

However, recent figures have indicated that the good times have come to an end, with Europe’s largest economy stuck in recession.

Inflation and the what?!

July 16, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Food Banks, Germany, Inflation, Poverty, Refugees Leave a comment

How on Earth did this get through the German Media Brain Police Censorship Office?

German food banks in crisis – Inflation and an influx of refugees have put growing pressure on food banks. Will the German state step into the breach?

But why do food banks exist in a country like Germany in the first place? Can the German state step in to explain that?

German food banks are there to help people living in poverty, namely those who have less than 60% of the median net income at their disposal. In Germany, going by this definition, around 13 million people are considered to live below the poverty line.

The Surge Is On

June 30, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness Tags: Germany, Inflation Leave a comment

And it ain’t over till it’s over. If ever. Over.

German inflation surges more than expected to 6.8% – Spain becomes first major eurozone economy to beat ECB’s 2% target in almost 2 years.

German inflation was higher than forecast this month, even as Spain became the first major eurozone economy to beat the European Central Bank’s 2 per cent target in almost two years.

The divergence between Germany’s 6.8 per cent rate for June and the 1.6 per cent recorded by Spain highlights the dilemma faced by the ECB, which is focused on core inflation, which excludes volatile energy and food prices.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Tag Archives: Inflation