Germany could enter its third year of economic recession in 2025, according to a report out of the Handelsblatt Research Institute (HRI), cited by the Mandiner news portal, meaning it will face the longest economic crisis in its post-World War II history.  Germany, the European Union’s largest economy, may shrink by 0.1 percent this year after a contraction of 0.3 percent in 2024 and 2023. “The German economy is in the midst of the biggest crisis in post-war history,” said Bert Rürup, chief economist at HRI. “The pandemic, the energy crisis, and inflation have made Germans poorer on average.” The HRI is not alone. In December, the German central bank lowered its growth forecast for 2025 to 0.2 percent from 1.1 percent forecast in June.  According to surveys, German citizens also say they are most worried about the economy ahead of the snap election on Feb. 23.  The dismal economic performance does not bode well for Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck, who holds a degree in philosophy and is the Greens candidate for chancellor in the upcoming election. Some have joked that if Habeck were to become chancellor, Germany would soon need economic aid. The Nius news agency has also reported on data from […]