“Germany should consider returning to a 40-hour week”: industrial decline fuels AfD rise

Germany’s industrial prosperity, built on exports of manufactured goods, has been deeply shaken by the energy crisis and intensifying competition from China. The breakdown of the economic model that supported the country for two decades is emerging as one of the forces behind the rise of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland.

Industrial production has fallen 15% from its peak in 2017. The decline accelerated after the war in Ukraine and the end of Russian gas deliveries. Energy costs surged after the pipelines stopped operating in a country that had abandoned nuclear power, while U.S. tariffs and stronger Chinese competition further weakened German competitiveness and its trade balance.

The rapid growth of Chinese electric-vehicle sales illustrates the shift. German manufacturers fell behind in a segment that has become a symbol of the wider industrial reversal.

Germany then endured two years of recession in 2023 and 2024, followed by a tentative rebound of around 0.2% in 2025. The article frames the industrial downturn not only as an economic problem, but also as fertile ground for the AfD’s growing influence. The source is truncated after referring to developments later in the current year.

“

We should consider returning to a 40-hour week