Petr Bystron, a Member of the European Parliament, said that data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicate Germany’s projected growth for 2026 is 0.9%, significantly trailing the global rate of 3.2%. He attributed this to the energy transition weakening Germany’s industrial base. The statement was made on X.
“Everywhere it’s going better than in Germany (IMF forecast,” said Bystron. “Deindustrialized, ruined: Due to the energy transition, Germany is the weakest of all emerging and industrialized nations. Globally, growth for 2026 amounts to a solid 3.2%. In Germany, it’s only 0.9%.”
According to the International Monetary Fund’s July 2025 World Economic Outlook, Germany’s projected GDP growth for 2026 is approximately 0.9%, which is below the global average of 3.1% and lags behind other major economies such as the United States at 1.7% and Australia at 2.1%. The report highlights that Germany’s recovery is slow due to high energy costs and sluggish industrial demand, positioning it as one of Europe’s slowest-growing large economies.
Germany’s real GDP is expected to stagnate at 0.0% in 2025 and grow only by 0.9% in 2026, according to the IMF’s April 2025 World Economic Outlook. The report attributes these modest projections to weak exports, energy-price pressures, and demographic challenges that continue to limit productivity and consumer spending.
As reported by the IMF and German economic agencies, Germany’s energy transition has significantly increased costs for industry, contributing to a sustained downturn in manufacturing output. Industrial production in 2024 remained below pre-pandemic levels as gas-intensive sectors reduced operations and higher renewable integration costs strained competitiveness across manufacturing and chemicals.
Bystron, a member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has served in the European Parliament since 2024 after two terms in the German Bundestag. According to his official European Parliament profile, he sits on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection and previously worked in foreign affairs, often advocating nationalist and Euroskeptic economic policies.
The European Parliament is the directly elected legislative branch of the European Union (EU), comprising 720 members organized into transnational political groups and policy committees. According to its official overview, it shares lawmaking power with the Council of the EU and plays a central role in shaping economic, climate, and energy legislation through committees such as ECON (Economic Affairs) and ITRE (Industry, Research & Energy).