“The national team operates like the federal government: high on ambition, low on resolve. Individuals struggle alone, no one claims responsibility, and when fortune finally comes, the success is negated,” wrote German MEP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann on X, addressing a controversially disallowed goal during overtime, which could have secured Germany’s victory.
There is “always a connection between sport and politics,” said political science professor Alexander Straßner, and Europe’s largest economy is no exception.
Similar to its men’s football team, Germany’s automotive sector and industrial core have lost their former luster over the past decade.
When Germany defeated Brazil 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup semifinals and went on to win the tournament for the fourth time, Volkswagen was nearing becoming the world’s largest automaker. Recently, the company announced plans for substantial job cuts, and major supplier Bosch is considering similar large-scale layoffs.
Unemployment in the country has reached its highest level since the Covid pandemic, and economic growth remains weak.
A nation once renowned for performance, reliability, efficiency, and engineering excellence is now known for chronically delayed trains, infrastructure mega-projects with years of delays and soaring costs, and a struggling automotive industry.
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