As economy stalls, Germany struggles to get consumers spending
With global trade deeply uncertain and a tariff war causing havoc on financial markets, Germany's next government is hoping to unleash domestic consumption to revive stalled growth in an economy that has been driven for decades by exports. Conservative chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz, in a newly forged coalition with the centre left Social Democrats (SPD), has announced policies such as tax cuts and raising the minimum wage. He hopes these measures will increase purchasing power and support domestic demand.