On May 17, Clemens Fuest, Director of the renowned German think tank Ifo Institute for Economic Research, expressed concerns in an interview with a CCTV reporter about the impact of U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran on Germany's economic recovery. According to Jin10, Fuest highlighted that Germany, being a highly export-oriented economy, is currently facing economic challenges due to U.S. tariff policies. He noted that Germany's economic level has stagnated at the 2019 level, marking the seventh consecutive year of stagnation. The recent military actions have disrupted the anticipated economic rebound for Germany this year, which was expected to be driven by government spending and borrowing. As a result, Germany's economic growth is projected to be weak, estimated at around 0.6% for this year.
Fuest also mentioned that while Germany is not currently facing shortages in natural gas or other energy supplies, the obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz poses risks to global energy stability, affecting global industrial and supply chains. This situation further threatens Germany's economic recovery.