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Cooperative banks, especially Volksbanken, are considered stable because of their regional roots and their financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, several cases show that risk management and controls are not keeping pace everywhere, while at the same time the economy is slowing down their core business. Discussions with industry experts also reveal that […]

Solar subsidies have massively accelerated the expansion of photovoltaics in Germany, and they now shape electricity prices and grid expansion. Feed-in tariffs, the EEG surcharge, grid fees, and periods of low wind and solar output are closely intertwined. Understanding this system also reveals its weaknesses. The German government is providing almost €30 billion for such

Stutensee is the latest municipality to withdraw from the district heating network project, as performance, timeline, and economic viability no longer align. Previously, Bruchsal and Bretten had already announced their withdrawal from the large-scale project. The project development company was intended to bring district heating from deep geothermal sources to the region, with the municipal

Japan is planning a major overhaul, with solar parks set to receive less funding from government programs in the future. At the same time, Tokyo intends to re-evaluate environmental protection, feed-in tariff regulations, perovskite mining, and conflict zones like Hokkaido to safeguard landscapes and make projects safer. (reuters: 24.12.25) Local conflicts are accelerating the change

Employment has been declining for 21 months, and job cuts in the metal industry remain the dominant issue in the metal and electrical engineering sector. Oliver Zander of Gesamtmetall attributes this development to excessively high energy costs for industry and taxes, while also warning of increasing EU bureaucracy, as this slows down processes and further

The Bundesbank is issuing an unusually sharp warning. It considers Chancellor Merz’s fiscal policy risky. Politicians are accepting a growing budget deficit, even though the debt brake could foreseeably be violated. This is precisely where the danger of a constitutional crisis arises. This combination of high levels of new debt, growing uncertainty, and a lack

The German government plans to spend a record €29.5 billion in 2026 to stabilize electricity prices, cover rising energy transition costs, relieve pressure on industrial electricity, and cushion increasingly frequent surplus electricity. This scale is unprecedented, significantly exceeding previous aid programs. However, there is growing concern that short-term relief without structural reforms will lead to

The insect farm was intended to be Europe’s flagship project for sustainable protein production, but despite millions of euros in public subsidies and several hundred million euros in private financing, the venture failed. In total, more than $620 million was invested in the project. For years, the insect farm was considered an innovative project, but

The new active pension scheme is supposedly modern, secures the future, and motivates older people to continue working. But it only applies to employees. The self-employed remain excluded. With this, policymakers are deliberately creating a two-tier society for the elderly. They are exacerbating inequality instead of resolving it, and they are ignoring economic reality at

Porsche is ending its own charging network in China because it’s simply no longer profitable. Demand for Porsche electric models was significantly weaker than expected, station usage remained low, and maintenance costs were high. At the same time, the Chinese market intensified the pressure from strong domestic competitors and a more densely developed infrastructure. Therefore,

The transport transition in Brandenburg is increasingly becoming a strain. In Cottbus, 46 new hydrogen buses are sitting unused in the depot, even though each vehicle cost around €650,000. The fuel is lacking. At times, the buses had to be transported on diesel low-loaders to distant filling stations. Simultaneously, the delivery of ordered electric buses

In October, a serious wind turbine collapsed in Havixbeck. The turbine’s nacelle, along with the rotor blades, tore from the tower and crashed to the ground. This resulted in an oil spill, the extent of which has not yet been fully assessed. The soil contamination remains unclear because key components have not yet been recovered.

Katherina Reiche has sparked a debate that extends far beyond traditional economic issues. For the first time, she openly stated that the promise of prosperity to the next generation can no longer be kept. This statement carries significant weight because it marks a historic turning point. At the same time, Reiche is calling for longer

The German Armed Forces’ new pistol represents a political contradiction with significant symbolic implications. The current arms contract is going abroad, even though German politicians are demanding greater local pride from businesses and announcing a strategically oriented procurement policy. The government is deliberately choosing the cheaper supplier outside Germany, while simultaneously demanding greater loyalty to

Nearly 15 years after Fukushima, the world’s largest nuclear power plant is once again at the center of the energy policy debate. Japan is preparing to restart Kashiwazaki-Kariwa to increase its energy security, implement a controlled restart of nuclear power, stabilize electricity prices in Japan, and permanently incorporate the lessons learned from Fukushima. The project