Cost of Anti-Russia Policies: Chancellor Merz Admits German Economy Teeters on Edge

"Europe: Own sanctions’ biggest loser
Instead of hurting Russia, “rising oil and gas prices as a result of both sanctions and the Ukraine conflict have destroyed the EU’s industrial competitiveness and led to some de-industrialization in Europe’s biggest economy – Germany.”

Severe difficulties are affecting “a major part of German industry,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged in press conference following the final meeting of the Christian Social Union (CSU) regional group.
This also concerns “much of the small and medium-sized business sector, as well as small-scale manufacturing,” Friedrich Merz added at the event broadcast by Phoenix TV.
He acknowledged that the poor state of the economy is negatively impacting the German labor market. The German labor market is stagnant, “trapped in long-term unemployment,” said Merz.
Among the structural problems facing Germany’s economy, the Chancellor cited what he called excessively high taxes and electricity costs, along with numerous bureaucratic barriers." Sputnik