In February, Germany held an election that had many echoes of the one the United States held in November. Voters were incensed with inflation — especially electricity prices, which surged 80 ...

Germany today is not just in recession — it’s in a deep systemic crisis of its own making. Once Europe’s industrial benchmark, the country now endures its longest downturn since World War II.

In Germany, where three-quarters of buildings are heated by gas or oil, people shivered: In 2022, 5.5 million Germans felt they couldn’t afford to keep their homes warm.