German Finance Minister warns of lasting energy shock

Germany must prepare for a prolonged energy price shock resulting from the conflict in Iran, a situation that has left the national economic environment extremely fragile. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil issued this warning on Tuesday before traveling to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings. The IMF recently lowered its growth projections for the German economy, forecasting growth of 0.8% in 2026 and 1.2% in 2027, which represents a 0.3 percentage point decrease for both years compared to previous estimates. Klingbeil stated that he intends to discuss stabilization measures and targeted support for affected businesses and citizens with international partners in Washington.

This crisis once again shows that we must become more independent, more crisis-proof and more resilient.