France/Germany: When a large industry is no longer an advantage
It has long been thought that one of Germany’s main strengths over France is the far larger size of its industry. A large industry provides higher productivity gains, stronger growth, more sophisticated jobs, external surpluses, etc. But today, Germany’s strength is turning into a weakness under the effect of: The slowdown in global demand for industrial products and in global trade; Problems in some industries (automotive, chemicals, capital goods) due to environmental standards and the global decline in investment needs; The larger adjustment that is needed to meet the climate commitments.