More than half of Germany's medium-sized companies expect an economic downturn next year, according to a survey by the BVMW business association.
Christoph Ahlhaus, the association's chief executive, said on Saturday that "superficial reforms are no longer enough to get Germany back on track."
He said businesses expect the federal government to finally deliver on long-promised structural reforms and concrete relief measures in areas such as bureaucracy, the labour market, taxation and energy costs.
According to the survey, 54% of companies expect an economic slowdown, while only 22% anticipate an upswing. In addition, 42% of respondents said they plan to scale back investment in 2026, the association said.
Medium-sized companies, known as the Mittelstand, form the backbone of Germany's economy and account for a large share of employment and investment.
The German economy contracted in 2023 and 2024, while growth is forecast to be minimal this year and no meaningful recovery is expected in 2026.
The BVMW surveyed more than 1,000 Mittelstand companies in an online poll conducted between December 18 and 23.
latest_posts
- 1
Rick Steves Doesn't Want You Overlooking This Food Spot While In France - 2West Antarctica’s history of rapid melting foretells sudden shifts in continent’s ‘catastrophic’ geology
- 3Understanding the Rudiments of Tree Administrations
- 4What you need to know about flu treatments as cases spike across the US
- 5CDC pauses dozens of types of lab testing during evaluation and in wake of downsizing
- Eight Muslim nations condemn Israel's 'dangerous' new death penalty law
- What Yogurt Types Do You Know
- 4 buzzy new TV shows to watch — plus the return of 'The Comeback,' 'Jury Duty' and more
- Russia earning billions from Hormuz blockade, German trade body says
- Top 10 Smash hit Computer games of the Year
- Colleges say foreign students feel 'unwelcome' in the U.S. amid big drop in international enrollment, new survey finds
- Figure out How to Get the Best Open Record Rewards
- Astronomers discover never-before-seen celestial object: "Cloud 9"
- Exposure to neighborhood violence leads some Denver teens to use tobacco and alcohol earlier, new study shows
