The German economy is not only struggling with persistent economic headwinds, but also with structural problems, said Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, presenting the Bundesbank’s new Forecast for Germany. The Bundesbank projects a slight decline of 0.2 % in real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 and only a slight rise in 2025. The labour market, too, is now responding noticeably to the protracted weakness of the economy. The inflation rate remains elevated in 2025, but is likely to return to 2 % in the years that follow.

At a speech in Luxembourg, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel touched on topics including the upcoming interest rate decision by the Governing Council of the ECB and the German economy, amongst other things. The German economy was also the topic of his recent interview with the Financial Times.

Bundesbank Vice-President Sabine Mauderer discusses the financial market fluctuations feared by many, the struggle to establish a common deposit insurance scheme for savers in Europe, the importance of economic growth, Germany as a financial hub, the significance of the capital markets union for the average person on the street and central banks’ responsibilities in respect of climate-related risks.

On 29 and 30 November, the Bundesbank invited young people between the ages of 18 and 30 to its sixth Euro20+. Held in Frankfurt am Main, the highlights of the event were the two town hall meetings with Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel and Swiss National Bank Chairman Martin Schlegel. Many of the 200 participants took the opportunity to ask questions on topics such as what is currently happening in the economy, the progress being made with the digital transformation, the state of affairs for monetary policy in the euro area and in Switzerland, and pensions.