This year began with renewed optimism that Germany might finally emerge from its longest period of economic stagnation since the second world war. In February, Friedrich Merz, leader of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, won federal elections after campaigning on a pledge to revitalise Europe’s largest economy. His coalition with the centre-left Social Democratic party promised a more functional government than the fractious one it replaced. In March, Germany’s parliament approved plans to ease the constitutionally enshrined “debt brake”, allowing the government to establish a €500bn fund to rebuild infrastructure and increase defence spending. Several months on, however, the early hope of rapid economic renewal is beginning to fade.
今年伊始，人們再次樂觀地認為，德國或許終于能走出自二戰以來最長的經濟停滯期。2月，中右翼基民盟領導人弗里德里希?默茨(Friedrich Merz)在聯邦選舉中獲勝，他以振興歐洲最大經濟體為競選承諾。他與中左翼社會民主黨組成的聯合政府承諾將建立一個比之前內訌不斷的政府更加高效的政府。3月，德國議會批準放松憲法確立的“債務剎車”，允許政府設立一只規模達5000億歐元的基金，用于重建基礎設施并增加國防開支。然而，數月過去，關于經濟迅速復蘇的早期希望正開始消退。