Germany's Economy: "A Tired Man in Need of Coffee"

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner affirmed that Germany, which experienced a recession in 2023, "is not a sick man," but rather "a tired man in need of coffee," referring to structural reforms to restart growth. Lindner stated this on Friday during the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps in Davos: "I know some people think Germany is the sick man... Germany is not a sick man. Germany, after a very successful period since 2012, and the recent years that saw crises, has become like a tired man who hasn't slept well through the night." He confirmed that "weak growth forecasts are a wake-up call," noting that Germany "will drink good coffee, meaning it will implement structural reforms, and then continue to succeed economically." Lindner added, "The growth forecasts are not what we would like them to be, but our economy is solid." He also mentioned, "From now on, we must fulfill our duties. We had to solve the issues of debt and deficit, and we succeeded." Many observers have recently described the largest economy in the Eurozone (the German economy) as "the sick man of Europe," a term that was used in the late 1990s after the reunification of Germany.