Employers Demonstrate in Berlin: Affordable Energy Crucial for Germany's Industrial Future

berlin - German employers in Berlin protest for significant changes as the government revises economic growth forecast downwards.

Employers Call for Change in Berlin

German employers in Berlin demonstrate for drastic changes amid the government's downward revision of the economic growth forecast. Employers urge cutting unnecessary regulations, lowering energy prices, and increasing government investments.

Arndt Kirchhof, a member of a centuries-old entrepreneurial family and chairman of employers in the densely populated state of North Rhine-Westphalia, emphasizes the urgent need for change. 'Jobs and our prosperity are at acute risk,' he warns the gathered crowd, including liberal and conservative opposition members.

Germany's economic struggles were evident in Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck's latest growth figures announcement. For the second consecutive year, the Federal Republic faces minimal growth, with a caretaker government and no budget for the year.

Major companies like VW, Bosch, and Continental announce mass layoffs almost daily. The energy prices in Germany have surged since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leading to concerns about affordability in industries like steel, chemistry, cement, paper, and electronic industries.

'In sectors like steel, chemistry, cement, paper, and electronics, energy is no longer affordable,' Kirchhof asserts. He warns that Germany's competitiveness is at stake, stating, 'This issue will determine whether Germany remains strong or becomes an industrial museum.'

Employers place a black-red-yellow colored container near the national monument, displaying signs with 'S. O. S. Wirtschaft' (S. O. S. Economy). The urgent call is visible on social media and as a large poster at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the central station.

Marie-Christine Ostermann, chair of German family businesses, demands tax reduction to the EU average and capping social security contributions at 40%. Meanwhile, Dirk Jandura of the BGA foreign trade association notes the alarming rate of German companies going bankrupt or relocating abroad.

'Three German businesses go bankrupt every hour; others move abroad,' Jandura highlights. He predicts a 2% decline in exports this year and emphasizes that EU regulations limit their flexibility. However, he dismisses the radical right-wing's calls for an EU or euro exit, stating it would harm the German economy and its export model.