by Yuri Prasad at Socialist Worker
The collapse of the German government on Wednesday is yet another sign of the decay of the political centre—and is great news for the right and far right.
Confirmation that the coalition of Labour-like social democrats (SPD), the Greens and free market liberals had ended came just hours after Donald Trump was re-elected as United States president.
The popularity of the three governing parties has been in freefall for months as Germany’s steep economic slump continues.
Last week, the country’s premier car manufacturer, Volkswagen, announced a 60 percent drop in profits and the closure of three major factories with the loss of thousands of skilled jobs.
Other major firms have made similar statements.
Just three years ago, things seemed very different. Elected in 2021, the coalition seemed to offer a break from years of rigid austerity politics. The SPD and the Green parties promised a high wage, ecological high tech economy.
Growth, they said, would pay for building new houses and improving living standards.
But there were two problems with their plan. First,…
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